The purpose of this study was to determine how pelvic morphology, body posture, and standing balance variables of scoliotic girls differ from those of able-bodied girls, and to classify neuro-biomechanical variables in terms of a lower number of unobserved variables. Twenty-eight scoliotic and twenty-five non-scoliotic able-bodied girls participated in this study. 3D coordinates of ten anatomic body landmarks were used to describe pelvic morphology and trunk posture using a Flock of Birds system. Standing balance was measured using a force plate to identify the center of pressure (COP), and its anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) displacements. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to determine differences between the two groups. A factor analysis was used to identify factors that best describe both groups. Statistical differences were identified between the groups for each of the parameter types. While spatial orientation of the pelvis was similar in both groups, five of the eight trunk postural variables of the scoliotic group were significantly different that the able-bodied group. Also, five out of the seven standing balance variables were higher in the scoliotic girls. Approximately 60% of the variation is supported by 4 factors that can be associated with a set of variables; standing balance variables (factor 1), body posture variables (factor 2), and pelvic morphology variables (factors 3 and 4). Pelvic distortion, body posture asymmetry, and standing imbalance are more pronounced in scoliotic girls, when compared to able-bodied girls. These findings may be beneficial when addressing balance and ankle proprioception exercises for the scoliotic population. PMID:23875021

Limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) are a hallmark of dynamic instability in time-delayed and nonlinear systems such as climate change models, biological oscillators, and robotics. Here we study the links between the human neuromuscular system and LCOs in standingposture. First, we demonstrate through a simple mathematical model that the observation of LCOs in posture is indicative of excessive neuromuscular time-delay. To test this hypothesis we study LCOs in the postural sway of individuals with multiple sclerosis and concussed athletes representing two different populations with chronically and acutely increased neuromuscular time-delays. Using a wavelet analysis method we demonstrate that 67% of individuals with multiple sclerosis and 44% of individuals with concussion exhibit intermittent LCOs; 8% of MS-controls, 0% of older adults, and 0% of concussion-controls displayed LCOs. Thus, LCOs are not only key to understanding postural instability but also may have important applications for the detection of neuromuscular deficiencies. PMID:27018157

[Purpose] Postural problems of adolescents needs to be evaluated accurately because they may lead to greater problems in the musculoskeletal system as they develop. Although photographic posture analysis has been frequently used, more simple and accessible methods are still needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter- and intra-rater reliability of photographic posture analysis using MB-ruler software. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were 30 adolescents (15 girls and 15 boys, mean age: 16.4±0.4 years, mean height 166.3±6.7 cm, mean weight 63.8±15.1 kg) and photographs of their habitual standingposture photographs were taken in the sagittal plane. For the evaluation of postural angles, reflective markers were placed on anatomical landmarks. For angular measurements, MB-ruler (Markus Bader- MB Software Solutions, triangular screen ruler) was used. Photographic evaluations were performed by two observers with a repetition after a week. Test-retest and inter-rater reliability evaluations were calculated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). [Results] Inter-rater (ICC>0.972) and test-retest (ICC>0.774) reliability were found to be in the range of acceptable to excellent. [Conclusion] Reference angles for postural evaluation were found to be reliable and repeatable. The present method was found to be an easy and non-invasive method and it may be utilized by researchers who are in search of an alternative method for photographic postural assessments. PMID:26644658

Focuses on the importance of posture in music-making. Provides information on the importance of posture and the different types of posture stances to help students work toward better posture. Includes information on using kinesthetic experiences to help students improve their posture. (CMK)

This study assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using body swing (changing standingposture) and a Wii Balance Board with a newly developed standingposture detection program (i.e. a new software program turns a Wii Balance Board into a precise standingposture detector). The…

Independent stance is one of the most difficult motor milestones to achieve. Newly standing infants exhibit exaggerated body movements and can only stand for a brief amount of time. Given the difficult nature of bipedal stance, these unstable characteristics are slow to improve. However, we demonstrate that infants can increase their stability when engaged in a standing goal-directed task. Infants' balance was measured while standing and while standing and holding a visually attractive toy. When holding the toy, infants stood for a longer period of time, exhibited less body sway, and more mature postural dynamics. These results demonstrate that even with limited standing experience, infants can stabilize posture to facilitate performance of a concurrent task. PMID:23940736

Postural control deficit is one of the most important problems in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The purpose of the presented study was to compare the effects of body posture asymmetry alone (i.e., in children with mild scoliosis) with the effects of body posture impairment (i.e., in children with hemiplegia) on postural stability. Forty-five outpatients with hemiplegia and 51 children with mild scoliosis were assessed using a posturography device. The examination comprised two parts: (1) analysis of the static load distribution; and (2) a posturographic test (CoP measurements) conducted in three postural conditions: standing, sitting and kneeling. Based on the asymmetry index of the unaffected/affected body sides while standing, the children with hemiplegia were divided into two different postural patterns: a pro-gravitational postural pattern (PGPP) and an anti-gravitational postural pattern (AGPP) (Domagalska-Szopa & Szopa (2013). BioMed Research International, 2013, 462094; (2014). Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, 10, 113). The group of children with mild scoliosis, considered as a standard for static body weight distribution, was used as the reference group. The results of present study only partially confirmed that children with hemiplegia have increased postural instability. Strong weight distribution asymmetry was found in children with an AGPP, which induced larger lateral-medial CoP displacements compared with children with scoliosis. In children with hemiplegia, distinguishing between their postural patterns may be useful to improve the guidelines for early therapy children with an AGPP before abnormal patterns of weight-bearing asymmetry are fully established. PMID:25677032

The postural sway patterns of newly standing infants were compared under two conditions: standing while holding a toy and standing while not holding a toy. Infants exhibited a lower magnitude of postural sway and more complex sway patterns when holding the toy. These changes suggest that infants adapt postural sway in a manner that facilitates…

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of functional reach models by comparing actual values with estimated values. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-eight volunteers were included in this study (male: 14, female: 14, age: 21 ± 1 years, height: 166.8 ± 9.0 cm, and body mass: 60.1 ± 8.5 kg). The maximum forward fingertip position and joint angles were measured using the original equipment. In addition, the maximum forward fingertip position, shoulder joint angle, and knee or ankle joint angle were estimated using the functional reach model. [Results] The correlation coefficients between actual data and estimated data for the maximum forward fingertip position, shoulder joint angle, and ankle joint angle while standing were 0.93, 0.83, and 0.73, respectively. The correlation coefficients between actual data and estimated data for the maximum forward fingertip position, shoulder joint angle, and knee joint angle while kneeling were 0.86, 0.81, and 0.72, respectively. [Conclusion] The validity of both functional reach models in estimating optimal posture was confirmed. Therefore, the functional reach model is useful for evaluation of postural control and optimal postural control exercises.

[Purpose] Poor posture in children and adolescents is a well-known problem. Therefore, early detection of incorrect posture is important. Photometric posture analysis is a cost-efficient and easy method, but needs reliable reference values. As children’s posture changes as they grow, the assessment needs to be age-specific. This study aimed to investigate the development of both one-dimensional posture parameter (body inclination angle) and complex parameter (posture index) in different age groups (childhood to adolescence). [Subjects and Methods] The participants were 372 symptom-free children and adolescents (140 girls and 232 boys aged 6–17). Images of their habitual posture were obtained in the sagittal plane. High-contrast marker points and marker spheres were placed on anatomical landmarks. Based on the marker points, the body inclination angle (INC) and posture index (PI) were calculated using the Corpus concepts software. [Results] The INC angle significantly increased with age. The PI did not change significantly among the age groups. No significant differences between the corresponding age groups were found for PI and INC for both sexes. [Conclusion] When evaluating posture using the body inclination angle, the age of the subject needs to be considered. Posture assessment with an age-independent parameter may be more suitable. PMID:27313382

Postural sway was measured in 12- to 14-month-old infants and adults while they were standing in the light and dark. Infants did not sway significantly more in the dark than in the light, whereas adults did. These findings indicate that early regulation of standingposture does not depend on visual information. (Author)

The "Just-in-Time system" improves productivity and efficiency through cost reduction while it makes workers work in a standingposture. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of postural hypotension in females during prolonged standing work, and to discuss preventive methods. Twelve female static standing workers (mean age+/-standard deviation; 32+/-14 yr old), 6 male static standing workers (30+/-4 yr old), 10 female walking workers (27+/-7 yr old) and 9 female desk workers (31+/-5 yr old) in a certain telecommunications equipment manufacturing factory agreed to participate in this study. All participants received an interview with an occupational physician, and performed the standing up test before working and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) while working. Although the blood pressure of the standing up test did not differ among the groups, mean pulse rates on standing up significantly increased in every group. Hypotension rates in the female standing workers' group by ABPM were 9 persons of 12 participants (75%) for systolic blood pressure (SBP), and were 11 persons of 12 participants (92%) for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). There were significantly higher than those in the female desk workers' group, none of 9 participants (0%) for SBP and 2 of 9 participants (22%) for DBP. The hypotension rates both male standing and female walking worker groups did not differ. Because all 8 workers who were found to have postural hypotension by the standing up test had decreased SBP and/or DBP by ABPM, it is suggested that persons at high risk of postural hypotension during standing work could be screened by the standing up test. The mechanism of postural hypotension may be a decrease of venous return due to leg swelling, and neurocardiogenic or vasovagal response. Preventing the congestion of the lower limbs by walking, managing standing time and wearing elastic hose to keep the amount of the venous return could prevent postural hypotension

The latest researches adopted software technology turning the Nintendo Wii Balance Board into a high performance change of standingposture (CSP) detector, and assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using body swing (changing standingposture). This study extends Wii Balance Board functionality for standingposture correction (i.e., actively adjust abnormal standingposture) to assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to actively correct their standingposture by controlling their favorite stimulation on/off using a Wii Balance Board with a newly developed standingposture correcting program (SPCP). The study was performed according to an ABAB design, in which A represented baseline and B represented intervention phases. Data showed that both participants significantly increased time duration of maintaining correct standingposture (TDMCSP) to activate the control system to produce environmental stimulation during the intervention phases. Practical and developmental implications of the findings were discussed. PMID:20381997

This experiment was designed to investigate whether and how decreasing the amount of attentional focus invested in postural control could affect bipedal postural control. Twelve participants were asked to stand upright as immobile as possible on a force platform in one control condition and one cognitive condition. In the latter condition, they…

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of scoliosis and usually affects young girls. Studies mostly describe the differences between scoliotic and non-scoliotic girls and focus primarily on a single set of parameters derived from spinal and pelvis morphology, posture or standing imbalance. No study addressed all these three biomechanical aspects simultaneously in pre-braced AIS girls of different scoliosis severity but with similar curve type and their interaction with scoliosis progression. The first objective of this study was to test if there are differences in these parameters between pre-braced AIS girls with a right thoracic scoliosis of moderate (less than 27°) and severe (more than 27°) deformity. The second objective was to identify which of these parameters are related to the Cobb angle progression either individually or in combination of thereof. Forty-five scoliotic girls, randomly selected by an orthopedic surgeon from the hospital scoliosis clinic, participated in this study. Parameters related to pelvis morphology, pelvis orientation, trunk posture and quiet standing balance were measured. Generally moderate pre-brace idiopathic scoliosis patients displayed lower values than the severe group characterized by a Cobb angle greater than 27°. Only pelvis morphology and trunk posture were statistically different between the groups while pelvis orientation and standing imbalance were similar in both groups. Statistically significant Pearson coefficients of correlation between individual parameters and Cobb angle ranged between 0.32 and 0.53. Collectively trunk posture, pelvis morphology and standing balance parameters are correlated with Cobb angle at 0.82. The results suggest that spinal deformity progression is not only a question of trunk morphology distortion by itself but is also related to pelvis asymmetrical bone growth and standing neuromuscular imbalance. PMID:22792155

Objective To determine energy expenditure and muscle activity among children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), across several conditions that approximate sedentary behavior, and standing. Study design Subjects with spastic CP (n=19; 4–20 years of age; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I to V) participated in this cohort study. Energy-expenditure and muscle activity were measured during lying supine, sitting with support, sitting without support, and standing. Energy-expenditure was measured using indirect calorimetry and expressed in metabolic equivalents (METs). Muscle activation was recorded using surface electromyography. The recorded values were calculated for every child and then averaged per posture. Results Mean energy expenditure was >1.5 METs during standing for all GMFCS levels. There was a non-significant trend for greater muscle activation for all postures with less support. Only for children classified at GMFCS level III standing resulted in significantly greater muscle activation (p<0.05) compared with rest. Conclusion Across all GMFCS levels, children and adolescents with CP had elevated energy expenditure during standing that exceeded the sedentary threshold of 1.5 METs. Our findings suggest that changing a child’s position to standing may contribute to the accumulation of light activity and reduction of long intervals of sedentary behavior. PMID:25151195

The essay presents a set of interlinked claims about posture in modern culture. Over the past two centuries it has come to define a wide range of assumptions in the West from what makes human beings human (from Lamarck to Darwin and beyond) to the efficacy of the body in warfare (from Dutch drill manuals in the 17th century to German military medical studies of soldiers in the 19th century). Dance and sport both are forms of posture training in terms of their own claims. Posture separates 'primitive' from 'advanced' peoples and the 'ill' from the 'healthy.' Indeed an entire medical sub-specialty developed in which gymnastics defined and recuperated the body. But all of these claims were also part of a Western attempt to use posture (and the means of altering it) as the litmus test for the healthy modern body of the perfect citizen. Focusing on the centrality of posture in two oddly linked moments of modern thought--modern Zionist thought and Nationalism in early 20th century China--in terms of bodily reform, we show how "posture" brings all of the earlier debates together to reform the body. PMID:24317755

In 1995, David Winter concluded that postural analysis of upright stance was often restricted to studying the trajectory of the center of pressure (CoP). However, postural control means regulation of the center of mass (CoM) with respect to CoP. As CoM is only accessible by using a biomechanical model of the human body, the present article proposes to determine which models are actually used in postural analysis, twenty years after Winter's observation. To do so, a selection of 252 representative articles dealing with upright posture and published during the four last years has been checked. It appears that the CoP model largely remains the most common one (accounting for nearly two thirds of the selection). Other models, CoP/CoM and segmental models (with one, two or more segments) are much less used. The choice of the model does not appear to be guided by the population studied. Conversely, while some confusion remains between postural control and the associated concepts of stability or strategy, this choice is better justified for real methodological concerns when dealing with such high-level parameters. Finally, the computation of the CoM continues to be a limitation in achieving a more complete postural analysis. This unfortunately implies that the model is chosen for technological reasons in many cases (choice being a euphemism here). Some effort still has to be made so that bioengineering developments allow us to go beyond this limit. PMID:26388359

Long-term follow-up of untreated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) indicates that, with the exception of some extremely severe cases, AIS does not have a significant impact on quality of life and does not result in dire consequences. In view of the relatively benign nature of AIS and the long-term complications of surgery, the indications for treatment should be reviewed. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that scoliosis-specific exercises focusing on postural rehabilitation can positively influence the spinal curvatures in growing adolescents. Experiential postural re-education is a conservative, non-invasive approach, and its role in the management of AIS warrants further study. This article reviews current evidence for the inclusion of various forms of postural reeducation in the management of AIS. Recent comprehensive reviews have been researched including a manual and PubMed search for evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical/postural re-education/physiotherapy programs in growing AIS patients. This search revealed that there were few studies on the application of postural re-education in the management of AIS. These studies revealed that postural re-education in the form of exercise rehabilitation programs may have a positive influence on scoliosis; however, the various programs were difficult to compare. More research is necessary. There is at present Level 1 evidence for the effectiveness of Schroth scoliosis exercises in the management of AIS. Whether this evidence can be extrapolated to include other forms of scoliosis- pattern-specific exercises requires further investigation. Because corrective postures theoretically reduce the asymmetric loading of the spinal deformities and reverse the vicious cycle of spinal curvature progression, their integration into AIS programs may be beneficial and should be further examined. PMID:27340540

Long-term follow-up of untreated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) indicates that, with the exception of some extremely severe cases, AIS does not have a significant impact on quality of life and does not result in dire consequences. In view of the relatively benign nature of AIS and the long-term complications of surgery, the indications for treatment should be reviewed. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that scoliosis-specific exercises focusing on postural rehabilitation can positively influence the spinal curvatures in growing adolescents. Experiential postural re-education is a conservative, non-invasive approach, and its role in the management of AIS warrants further study. This article reviews current evidence for the inclusion of various forms of postural reeducation in the management of AIS. Recent comprehensive reviews have been researched including a manual and PubMed search for evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical/postural re-education/physiotherapy programs in growing AIS patients. This search revealed that there were few studies on the application of postural re-education in the management of AIS. These studies revealed that postural re-education in the form of exercise rehabilitation programs may have a positive influence on scoliosis; however, the various programs were difficult to compare. More research is necessary. There is at present Level 1 evidence for the effectiveness of Schroth scoliosis exercises in the management of AIS. Whether this evidence can be extrapolated to include other forms of scoliosis- pattern-specific exercises requires further investigation. Because corrective postures theoretically reduce the asymmetric loading of the spinal deformities and reverse the vicious cycle of spinal curvature progression, their integration into AIS programs may be beneficial and should be further examined. PMID:27340540

OBJECTIVE: We studied the role of adaptive changes within the central nervous system in anticipatory postural adjustments seen in unilateral below-the-knee amputees. DESIGN: Changes in electromyographic and mechanical variables were compared during standardized tasks performed by standing subjects. BACKGROUND: Anticipatory postural adjustments represent an important mechanism of postural control which was expected to be changed in amputees because of both mechanical and secondary, neurological reasons. METHODS: Six patients after a below-the-knee amputation and six control subjects stood on a force platform and performed fast bilateral shoulder movements and also dropped or caught a load from (into) extended hands. Anticipatory changes in the background activity of postural muscles were analysed. RESULTS: In amputees, there were cases of marked asymmetry in anticipatory changes of the background muscle activity which were larger on the intact side of the body but were commonly small or absent on the side of the amputation. This asymmetry could lead to larger mediolateral forces and displacements of the centre of pressure. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that asymmetrical patterns of anticipatory postural adjustments reflect central adaptive changes secondary to the amputation. Rehabilitation approaches would benefit from understanding and taking advantage of the adaptive changes within the central nervous system. RELEVANCE: We demonstrated asymmetries in patterns of anticipatory postural adjustments during voluntary arm movements and load manipulations by standing unilateral amputees. This finding is of potential importance for rehabilitation of amputees and their prosthetic training. PMID:11415672

The latest researches adopted software technology turning the Nintendo Wii Balance Board into a high performance change of standingposture (CSP) detector, and assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using body swing (changing standingposture). This study extends Wii Balance Board…

Bioceramic fabrics have been claimed to improve blood circulation, thermoregulation and muscle relaxation, thereby also improving muscular activity. Here we tested whether bioceramic fabrics have an effect on postural control and contribute to improve postural stability. In Experiment 1, we tested whether bioceramic fabrics contribute to reduce body-sway when maintaining standard standingposture. In Experiment 2, we measured the effect of bioceramic fabrics on body-sway when maintaining a more instable posture, namely a handstand hold. For both experiments, postural oscillations were measured using a force platform with four strain gauges that recorded the displacements of the center of pressure (CoP) in the horizontal plane. In half of the trials, the participants wore a full-body second skin suit containing a bioceramic layer. In the other half of the trials, they wore a 'placebo' second skin suit that had the same cut, appearance and elasticity as the bioceramic suit but did not contain the bioceramic layer. In both experiments, the surface of displacement of the CoP was significantly smaller when participants were wearing the bioceramic suit than when they were wearing the placebo suit. The results suggest that bioceramic fabrics do have an effect on postural control and improve postural stability. PMID:26234473

The objective of the study was to assess functional postural responses by analyzing the center-of-pressure trajectories resulting from perturbations delivered in multiple directions to elderly fallers. Ten elderly individuals were standing quietly on two force platforms while an apparatus delivered controlled perturbations at the level of pelvis…

Postural control requires the integration of sensorimotor information to maintain balance and to properly position and orient the body in response to external stimuli. Age-related declines in peripheral and central sensory and motor function contribute to postural instability and falls. This study investigated the contribution of head position, standing surface, and vision on postural sway in 26 community-dwelling older adults. Participants were asked to maintain a stable posture under conditions that varied standing surface, head position, and the availability of visual information. Significant main and interaction effects were found for all three factors. Findings from this study suggest that postural sway responses require the integration of available sources of sensory information. These results have important implications for fall risks in older adults and suggest that when standing with the head extended and eyes closed, older adults may place themselves at risk for postural disequilibrium and loss of balance. PMID:26709429

Summary Studies in the literature show that jaw and neck regions are linked anatomically, biomechanically and neurologically. Voluntary clenching has been shown to improve muscle strength and performance of various motor tasks. Information from the neck sensory-motor system is reported to be important for posture. Hence it is reasonable to believe that activation of the jaw sensory-motor system has the potential to modulate posture. In a sample of 116 healthy subjects, we compared center of gravity (COG) velocity during quiet standing on a foam surface during three test positions: i) resting jaw, ii) open jaw, and iii) clenching; these were tested in two conditions: with eyes open and with eyes closed. The COG velocity decreased significantly during clenching in comparison to both open and resting jaw positions (p<0.0001). This suggests that the jaw sensory-motor system can modulate postural mechanisms. We conclude that jaw clenching can enhance postural stability during standing on an unstable surface in both the presence and absence of visual input in healthy adults and suggest that this should be taken into consideration in treatment and rehabilitation planning for patients with postural instability. PMID:26329542

During pregnancy, an increase in body weight occurs together with changes in body weight distribution and in fit between body dimensions and workplace layout. These changes may cause alterations in working posture which may, in turn, have adverse consequences for the biomechanical load on the musculoskeletal system and so increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Using photographic posture registration, the standing working posture was studied in 27 women during the last stage of pregnancy and after delivery (the experimental group). The women performed an assembly task while standing at various workplace layouts. The postural differences between the pregnant condition and the non-pregnant condition were studied and the effect of the various workplace layouts assessed. Ten non-pregnant controls were also studied twice to establish the effect of the time interval between the measuring occasions. We found that the women of the experimental group stood further from the work surface in the pregnant condition compared to the non-pregnant condition, the hips were positioned more backwards, and, in order to reach the tesk, they increased the flexion of the trunk, increased the anteflexion of the upper arms, and extended the arms more. At the workplace layout in which the work surface height was self-selected, the postural differences due to pregnancy were smallest or even absent, compared to the postural differences in the other workplace layouts studied. Ergonomists and workers in occupational health services should be alert to the consequences for the biomechanical load on the musculoskeletal system and the risk of development of health complaints caused by postural changes due to pregnancy. An adjustable workplace layout may prevent some problems. PMID:7957032

This study investigated the effects of dementia on standingpostural adaptation during performance of a visual search task. We recruited 16 older adults with dementia and 15 without dementia. Postural sway was assessed by recording medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) center-of-pressure when standing with and without a visual search task; i.e., counting target letter frequency within a block of displayed randomized letters. ML sway variability was significantly higher in those with dementia during visual search as compared to those without dementia and compared to both groups during the control condition. AP sway variability was significantly greater in those with dementia as compared to those without dementia, irrespective of task condition. In the ML direction, the absolute and percent change in sway variability between the control condition and visual search (i.e., postural adaptation) was greater in those with dementia as compared to those without. In contrast, postural adaptation to visual search was similar between groups in the AP direction. As compared to those without dementia, those with dementia identified fewer letters on the visual task. In the non-dementia group only, greater increases in postural adaptation in both the ML and AP direction, correlated with lower performance on the visual task. The observed relationship between postural adaptation during the visual search task and visual search task performance—in the non-dementia group only—suggests a critical link between perception and action. Dementia reduces the capacity to perform a visual-based task while standing and thus appears to disrupt this perception-action synergy. PMID:25770830

Many studies showed that both arm movements and postural control are characterized by strong invariants. Besides, when a movement requires simultaneous control of the hand trajectory and balance maintenance, these two movement components are highly coordinated. It is well known that the focal and postural invariants are individually tightly linked to gravity, much less is known about the role of gravity in their coordination. It is not clear whether the effect of gravity on different movement components is such as to keep a strong movement-posture coordination even in different gravitational conditions or whether gravitational information is necessary for maintaining motor synergism. We thus set out to analyze the movements of eleven standing subjects reaching for a target in front of them beyond arm's length in normal conditions and in microgravity. The results showed that subjects quickly adapted to microgravity and were able to successfully accomplish the task. In contrast to the hand trajectory, the postural strategy was strongly affected by microgravity, so to become incompatible with normo-gravity balance constraints. The distinct effects of gravity on the focal and postural components determined a significant decrease in their reciprocal coordination. This finding suggests that movement-posture coupling is affected by gravity, and thus, it does not represent a unique hardwired and invariant mode of control. Additional kinematic and dynamic analyses suggest that the new motor strategy corresponds to a global oversimplification of movement control, fulfilling the mechanical and sensory constraints of the microgravity environment. PMID:22159588

Damage to the vestibular cerebellum results in dysfunctional standingposture control. Patients with cerebellum dysfunction have a larger sway in the center of gravity while standing compared with healthy subjects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive technique for selectively exciting or inhibiting specific neural structures with potential applications in functional assessment and treatment of neural disorders. However, the specific stimulation parameters for influencing postural control have not been assessed. In this study, we investigated the influence of tDCS when applied over the cerebellum on standingposture control. Sixteen healthy subjects received tDCS (20 min, 2 mA) over the scalp 2 cm below the inion. In Experiment 1, all 16 subjects received tDCS under three stimulus conditions, Sham, Cathodal, and Anodal, in a random order with the second electrode placed on the forehead. In Experiment 2, five subjects received cathodal stimulation only with the second electrode placed over the right buccinator muscle. Center of gravity sway was measured twice for 60 s before and after tDCS in a standingposture with eyes open and legs closed, and average total locus length, locus length per second, rectangular area, and enveloped area were calculated. In Experiment 1, total locus length and locus length per second decreased significantly after cathodal stimulation but not after anodal or sham stimulation, while no tDCS condition influenced rectangular or enveloped areas. In Experiment 2, cathodal tDCS again significantly reduced total locus length and locus length per second but not rectangular and enveloped areas. The effects of tDCS on postural control are polarity-dependent, likely reflecting the selective excitation or inhibition of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Cathodal tDCS to the cerebellum of healthy subjects can alter body sway (velocity). PMID:27458358

Damage to the vestibular cerebellum results in dysfunctional standingposture control. Patients with cerebellum dysfunction have a larger sway in the center of gravity while standing compared with healthy subjects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive technique for selectively exciting or inhibiting specific neural structures with potential applications in functional assessment and treatment of neural disorders. However, the specific stimulation parameters for influencing postural control have not been assessed. In this study, we investigated the influence of tDCS when applied over the cerebellum on standingposture control. Sixteen healthy subjects received tDCS (20 min, 2 mA) over the scalp 2 cm below the inion. In Experiment 1, all 16 subjects received tDCS under three stimulus conditions, Sham, Cathodal, and Anodal, in a random order with the second electrode placed on the forehead. In Experiment 2, five subjects received cathodal stimulation only with the second electrode placed over the right buccinator muscle. Center of gravity sway was measured twice for 60 s before and after tDCS in a standingposture with eyes open and legs closed, and average total locus length, locus length per second, rectangular area, and enveloped area were calculated. In Experiment 1, total locus length and locus length per second decreased significantly after cathodal stimulation but not after anodal or sham stimulation, while no tDCS condition influenced rectangular or enveloped areas. In Experiment 2, cathodal tDCS again significantly reduced total locus length and locus length per second but not rectangular and enveloped areas. The effects of tDCS on postural control are polarity-dependent, likely reflecting the selective excitation or inhibition of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Cathodal tDCS to the cerebellum of healthy subjects can alter body sway (velocity). PMID:27458358

Background The dose and time-pattern of sitting has been suggested in public health research to be an important determinant of risk for developing a number of diseases, including cardiovascular disorders and diabetes. The aim of the present study was to assess the time-pattern of seated and standing/walking postures amongst male and female call centre operators, on the basis of whole-shift posture recordings, analysed and described by a number of novel variables describing posture variation. Methods Seated vs. standing/walking was recorded using dichotomous inclinometers throughout an entire work shift for 43 male and 97 female call centre operators at 16 call centres. Data were analysed using an extensive set of variables describing occurrence of and switches between seated and standing/walking, posture similarity across the day, and compliance with standard recommendations for computer work. Results The majority of the operators, both male and female, spent more than 80% of the shift in a seated posture with an average of 10.4 switches/hour between seated and standing/walking or vice versa. Females spent, on average, 11% of the day in periods of sustained sitting longer than 1 hour; males 4.6% (p = 0.013). Only 38% and 11% of the operators complied with standard recommendations of getting an uninterrupted break from seated posture of at least 5 or 10 minutes, respectively, within each hour of work. Two thirds of all investigated variables showed coefficients of variation between subjects above 0.5. Since work tasks and contractual break schedules were observed to be essentially similar across operators and across days, this indicates that sedentary behaviours differed substantially between individuals. Conclusions The extensive occurrence of uninterrupted seated work indicates that efforts should be made at call centres - and probably in other settings in the office sector - to introduce more physical variation in terms of standing/walking periods during the work

A powered lower extremity orthotic brace can potentially be used to assist frail elderly during daily activities. This paper presents a method for an early detection of the initiation of sit-to-stand (SiSt) posture transition that can be used in the control of the powered orthosis. Unlike the methods used in prosthetic devices that rely on surface electromyography (EMG), the proposed method uses only sensors embedded into the orthosis brace attached to the limb. The method was developed and validated using data from a human study with 10 individuals. Each human trial included different sets of sitting, standing and walking activities originating from various initial postures. Features from the sensor signal were extracted and aggregated in lagged epochs to incorporate the time history. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the feature set. The principal components were then used in a leave-one-out manner to train a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier to perform early detection of the SiSt posture transition. The proposed method achieved the sensitivity of 100% and the specificity 92.94% of trials without false positives. The average detection time (DT) of 0.1341 ± 0.3310 s following the start of transition demonstrated early recognition of the initiation of SiSt transition. PMID:26963478

Bacterial meningitis in childhood is associated with cognitive deficiencies, sensorimotor impairments and motor dysfunction later in life. However, the long-term effects on postural control is largely unknown, e.g., whether meningitis subjects as adults fully can utilize visual information and adaptation to enhance stability. Thirty-six subjects (20 women, mean age 19.3 years) treated in childhood or adolescence for bacterial meningitis, and 25 controls (13 women, mean age 25.1 years) performed posturography with eyes open and closed under unperturbed and perturbed standing. The meningitis subjects were screened for subjective vertigo symptoms using a questionnaire, clinically tested with headshake and head thrust test, as well as their hearing was evaluated. Meningitis subjects were significantly more unstable than controls during unperturbed (p≤0.014) and perturbed standing, though while perturbed only with eyes open in anteroposterior direction (p = 0.034) whereas in lateral direction both with eyes open and closed (p<0.001). Meningitis subjects had poorer adaption ability to balance perturbations especially with eyes open, and they frequently reported symptoms of unsteadiness (88% of the subjects) and dizziness (81%), which was found significantly correlated to objectively decreased stability. Out of the 36 subjects only 3 had unilateral hearing impairment. Hence, survivors of childhood bacterial meningitis may suffer long-term disorders affecting postural control, and would greatly benefit if these common late effects became generally known so treatments can be developed and applied. PMID:25405756

The detrended fluctuation analysis is used to study the behavior of different time series obtained from the trajectory of the center of pressure, the output of the activity of the human postural control system. The results suggest that these trajectories present two different regimes in their scaling properties: persistent (for high frequencies, short-range time scale) to antipersistent (for low frequencies, long-range time scale) behaviors. The similitude between the results obtained for the measurements, done with both eyes open and eyes closed, indicate either that the visual system may be disregarded by the postural control system while maintaining the quiet standing, or that the control mechanisms associated with each type of information (visual, vestibular and somatosensory) cannot be disentangled with the type of analysis performed here.

Lumped parameter mathematical models representing anatomical parts of the human body have been developed to represent body motions associated with resonances of the vertical apparent mass and the fore-and-aft cross-axis apparent mass of the human body standing in five different postures: 'upright', 'lordotic', 'anterior lean', 'knees bent', and 'knees more bent'. The inertial and geometric parameters of the models were determined from published anthropometric data. Stiffness and damping parameters were obtained by comparing model responses with experimental data obtained previously. The principal resonance of the vertical apparent mass, and the first peak in the fore-and-aft cross-axis apparent mass, of the standing body in an upright posture (at 5-6 Hz) corresponded to vertical motion of the viscera in phase with the vertical motion of the entire body due to deformation of the tissues at the soles of the feet, with pitch motion of the pelvis out of phase with pitch motion of the upper body above the pelvis. Upward motion of the body was in phase with the forward pitch motion of the pelvis. Changing the posture of the upper body had minor effects on the mode associated with the principal resonances of the apparent mass and cross-axis apparent mass, but the mode changed significantly with bending of the legs. In legs-bent postures, the principal resonance (at about 3 Hz) was attributed to bending of the legs coupled with pitch motion of the pelvis in phase with pitch motion of the upper body. In this mode, extension of the legs was in phase with the forward pitch motion of the upper body and the upward vertical motion of the viscera.

We investigated the effects on women of carrying an infant in front, focusing on the pelvic and spinal posture and the displacement of the body's center of gravity. For such, we compared mothers to non-mothers not carrying anything or carrying the same load (a doll) and the mothers carrying their infants. Twenty mothers and 44 women who did not have children were analyzed for their movement and posture during walking and standing still with a motion capture system. Walking while carrying a load was slower and with a shorter stride length than while not carrying a load. The mothers' group walked slower and with a shorter stride length than the non-mothers' group. During walking and standing still, the women decreased their angle of pelvic anteversion, increased lumbar lordosis, increased thoracic kyphosis, and increased trunk backward inclination while carrying a load in comparison with not carrying anything. In addition, we observed some small differences in the spinal angles of mothers when carrying their infants compared to when carrying a doll. When standing still, the women carrying a load displaced backwards their vertical projection of the center of gravity to exactly compensate the destabilizing load at the front that resulted in no net change of the body-plus-load center of gravity. In general, these changes are qualitatively similar to the ones observed during pregnancy. PMID:25800000

The objective of this study was to compare the postural stability of pediatric and adolescent athletes without anterior cruciate ligament injury with those who underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction (ACLR). Postural stability ratings derived from a video-force plate system during the three stances of the modified Balance Error Scoring System were collected from pediatric and adolescent athletes who underwent ACLR (N=24; mean 1.2 years after surgery) and from uninjured controls (N=479). The postural control rating was calculated as the mean of the displacement and variance of the torso and center of pressure data, normalized on a scale from 0 to 100. A higher rating indicates greater postural stability. Participants who underwent ACLR showed lower postural stability ratings during single-leg stance compared with uninjured controls (40.0 vs. 48.7; P=0.037). ACLR is associated with deficits in postural stability. PMID:26863483

Impaired verticality perception can cause falls, or even the inability to stand, due to lateropulsion or retropulsion. The internal estimate of verticality can be assessed through the subjective visual, haptic, or postural vertical (SPV). The SPV reflects impaired upright body orientation, but has primarily been assessed in sitting position. The internal representations of body orientation might be different between sitting and standing, mainly because of differences in somatosensory input for the estimation of SPV. To test the SPV during standing, we set up a paradigm using a device that allows movement in three dimensions (the Spacecurl). This study focused on the test-retest and interrater reliabilities of SPV measurements (n = 25) and provides normative values for the age range 20-79 years (n = 60; 10 healthy subjects per decade). The test-retest and interrater reliabilities for SPV measurements in standing subjects were good. The normality values ranged from -1.7° to 2.3° in the sagittal plane, and from -1.6° to 1.2° in the frontal plane. Minor alterations occurred with aging: SPV shifted backward with increasing age, and the variability of verticality estimates increased. Assessment of SPV in standing can be done with reliable results. SPV should next be used to test patients with an impaired sense of verticality, to determine its diagnostic value in comparison to established tools. PMID:25522832

Athletic head trauma (both concussive and sub-concussive) is common among adolescents. Concussion typically is followed by motion sickness-like symptoms, by changes in cognitive performance, and by changes in standing body sway. We asked whether pre-bout body sway would differ between adolescent boxers who experienced post-bout motion sickness and those who did not. In addition, we asked whether pre-bout cognitive performance would differ as a function of adolescent boxers' post-bout motion sickness. Nine of nineteen adolescent boxers reported motion sickness after a bout. Pre-bout measures of cognitive performance and body sway differed between boxers who reported post-bout motion sickness and those who did not. The results suggest that susceptibility to motion sickness-like symptoms in adolescent boxers may be manifested in characteristic patterns of body sway and cognitive performance. It may be possible to use pre-bout data to predict susceptibility to post-bout symptoms. PMID:23680426

Due to the digital X-ray imaging system's limited field of view, several individual sector images are required to capture the posture of an individual in standing position. These images are then "stitched together" to reconstruct the standingposture. We have created an image processing application that automates the stitching, therefore minimizing user input, optimizing workflow, and reducing human error. The application begins with pre-processing the input images by removing artifacts, filtering out isolated noisy regions, and amplifying a seamless bone edge. The resulting binary images are then registered together using a rigid-body intensity based registration algorithm. The identified registration transformations are then used to map the original sector images into the panorama image. Our method focuses primarily on the use of the anatomical content of the images to generate the panoramas as opposed to using external markers employed to aid with the alignment process. Currently, results show robust edge detection prior to registration and we have tested our approach by comparing the resulting automatically-stitched panoramas to the manually stitched panoramas in terms of registration parameters, target registration error of homologous markers, and the homogeneity of the digitally subtracted automatically- and manually-stitched images using 26 patient datasets.

Postural steadiness while standing is impaired in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and could be potentially associated with increased reliance on visual inputs. The purpose of this study was to compare individuals with SCI and able-bodied participants on their use of visual inputs to maintain standingpostural steadiness. Another aim was to quantify the association between visual contribution to achieve postural steadiness and a clinical balance scale. Individuals with SCI (n = 15) and able-bodied controls (n = 14) performed quasi-static stance, with eyes open or closed, on force plates for two 45 s trials. Measurements of the centre of pressure (COP) included the mean value of the root mean square (RMS), mean COP velocity (MV) and COP sway area (SA). Individuals with SCI were also evaluated with the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini BESTest), a clinical outcome measure of postural steadiness. Individuals with SCI were significantly less stable than able-bodied controls in both conditions. The Romberg ratios (eyes open/eyes closed) for COP MV and SA were significantly higher for individuals with SCI, indicating a higher contribution of visual inputs for postural steadiness in that population. Romberg ratios for RMS and SA were significantly associated with the Mini-BESTest. This study highlights the contribution of visual inputs in individuals with SCI when maintaining quasi-static standingposture. PMID:23332191

The time course of the center of pressure (CoP) during human quiet standing, corresponding to body sway, is a stochastic process, influenced by a variety of features of the underlying neuro-musculo-skeletal system, such as postural stability and flexibility. Due to complexity of the process, sway patterns have been characterized in an empirical way by a number of indices, such as sway size and mean sway velocity. Here, we describe a statistical approach with the aim of estimating “universal” indices, namely parameters that are independent of individual body characteristics and thus are not “hidden” by the presence of individual, daily, and circadian variations of sway; in this manner it is possible to characterize the common aspects of sway dynamics across healthy young adults, in the assumption that they might reflect underlying neural control during quiet standing. Such universal indices are identified by analyzing intra and inter-subject variability of various indices, after sorting out individual-specific indices that contribute to individual discriminations. It is shown that the universal indices characterize mainly slow components of sway, such as scaling exponents of power-law behavior at a low-frequency regime. On the other hand, most of the individual-specific indices contributing to the individual discriminations exhibit significant correlation with body parameters, and they can be associated with fast oscillatory components of sway. These results are consistent with a mechanistic hypothesis claiming that the slow and the fast components of sway are associated, respectively, with neural control and biomechanics, supporting our assumption that the universal characteristics of postural sway might represent neural control strategies during quiet standing. PMID:25780094

Introduction Poor posture in children and adolescents has a prevalence of 22-65% and is suggested to be responsible for back pain. To assess posture, photometric imaging of sagittal posture is widely used, but usually only habitual posture positions (resting position with minimal muscle activity) are analysed. Aim The objective of this study was 1) to investigate possible changes in posture-describing parameters in the sagittal plane, when the subjects changed from a habitual passive posture to an actively corrected posture, and 2) to investigate the changes in posture parameters when an actively corrected posture was to be maintained with closed eyes. Materials and Methods In a group of 216 male children and adolescents (average 12.4 ± 2.5 years, range 7.0 – 17.6 years), six sagittal posture parameters (body tilt BT, trunk incline TI, posture index PI, horizontal distances between ear, shoulder and hip and the perpendicular to the ankle joint) were determined by means of photometric imaging in an habitual passive posture position, in an actively erect posture with eyes open, and in active stance with eyes closed. The change in these parameters during the transition between the posture positions was analysed statistically (dependent t-Test or Wilcoxon-Test) after Bonferroni correction (p<0.004). Results When moving from a habitual passive to an active posture BT, TI, PI, dEar, dShoulder, and dHip decreased significantly(p< 0.004). When the eyes were closed, only the perpendicular distances (dEar, dShoulder, and dHip) increased significantly. The parameters that describe the alignment of the trunk sections in relation to each other (BT, TI, PI), remained unchanged in both actively regulated posture positions. Conclusion Changes in sagittal posture parameters that occur when a habitual passive posture switches into an active posture or when an active posture is to be maintained while the eyes are closed can be used for diagnostic purposes regarding poor posture

This study concerned the effects of brisk perturbations applied to the shoulders of standing subjects to displace them either forwards or backwards, our aim being to characterise the responses to these disturbances. Subjects stood on a force platform, and acceleration was measured at the level of C7, the sacrum and both tibial tuberosities. Surface EMG was measured from soleus (SOL), tibialis anterior (TA), the hamstrings (HS), quadriceps (QUAD), rectus abdominis (RA) and lumbar paraspinal (PS) muscles. Trials were recorded for each of four conditions: subjects' eyes open (reference) or closed and on a firm (reference) or compliant surface. Observations were also made of voluntary postural reactions to a tap over the deltoid. Anterior perturbations (mean C7 acceleration 251.7 mg) evoked activity within the dorsal muscles (SOL, HS, PS) with a similar latency to voluntary responses to shoulder tapping. Responses to posterior perturbations (mean C7 acceleration -240.4 mg) were more complex beginning, on average, at shorter latency than voluntary activity (median TA 78.0 ms). There was activation of TA, QUAD and SOL associated with initial forward acceleration of the lower legs. The EMG responses consisted of an initial phasic discharge followed by a more prolonged one. These responses differ from the pattern of automatic postural responses that follow displacements at the level of the ankles, and it is unlikely that proprioceptive afferents excited by ankle movement had a role in the initial responses. Vision and surface properties had only minor effects. Perturbations of the upper trunk evoke stereotyped compensatory postural responses for each direction of perturbation. For posterior perturbations, EMG onset occurs earlier than for voluntary responses. PMID:26487178

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of gender and somatotypes on single-leg upright standingpostural stability in children. A total of 709 healthy children from different schools were recruited to measure the anthropometric somatotypes and the mean radius of center of pressure (COP) on a force platform with their eyes open and eyes closed. The results were that (a) girls revealed significantly smaller mean radius of COP distribution than boys, both in the eyes open and eyes closed conditions, and (b) the mesomorphic, muscular children had significantly smaller mean radius of COP distribution than the endomorphic, fatty children and the ectomorphic, linear children during the eyes closed condition. The explanation for gender differences might be due to the larger body weight in boys. The explanation for somatotype differences might be due to the significantly lower body height and higher portion of muscular profile in the mesomorphic children. PMID:18089914

Background Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is prevalent in children and adolescents and has a great impact on health. But its risk factors have not been fully understood. This study aimed to explore possible risk factors for children and adolescents with POTS. Methods and Findings 600 children and adolescents (test group) aged 7–18 (11.9±3.0) years old, 259 males and 341 females, were recruited for identifying its risk factors. Another 197 subjects aged from 7 to 18 (11.3±2.3) years old were enrolled in the validation group. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were monitored during upright test. Risk factors were analyzed and sensitivity and specificity for predicting POTS were tested via receiver operating characteristic curve. Among 600 subjects, 41 were confirmed with POTS patients (6.8%) based on clinical manifestation and upright test. The results showed a significant difference in daily water intake, the daily sleeping hours, supine HR, HR increment and maximum HR during upright test between POTS and the unaffected children (P<0.05). Likelihood of POTS would increase by 1.583 times if supine HR was increased by 10 beats/min (95%CI 1.184 to 2.116, P<0.01), by 3.877 times if a child's water intake was less than 800 ml/day (95%CI 1.937 to 7.760, P<0.001), or by 5.905 times (95%CI 2.972 to 11.733, P<0.001) if sleeping hours were less than 8 hours/day. Supine HR, daily water intake and sleeping hours showed the capability of predicting POTS in children and adolescents with an AUC of 83.9% (95% CI: 78.6%–89.1%), sensitivity of 80.5% and specificity of 75%. Furthermore, in validation group, predictive sensitivity and specificity were 73.3% and 72.5%. Conclusion Faster supine HR, less water intake and shorter sleeping hours were identified as risk factors for POTS. PMID:25474569

Physiological and emotional states can affect our decision-making processes, even when these states are seemingly insignificant to the decision at hand. We examined whether posture and postural threat affect decisions in a non-related economic domain. Healthy young adults made a series of choices between economic lotteries in various conditions, including changes in body posture (sitting vs. standing) and changes in elevation (ground level vs. atop a 0.8-meter-high platform). We compared three metrics between conditions to assess changes in risk-sensitivity: frequency of risky choices, and parameter fits of both utility and probability weighting parameters using cumulative prospect theory. We also measured skin conductance level to evaluate physiological response to the postural threat. Our results demonstrate that body posture does not significantly affect decision making. Secondly, despite increased skin conductance level, economic risk-sensitivity was unaffected by increased threat. Our findings indicate that economic choices are fairly robust to the physiological and emotional changes that result from posture or postural threat. PMID:25083345

This study aimed to examine the transient effect of core stability exercises on the motion of the center of pressure (COP) during quiet standing. Seventeen healthy young adults (7 women and 10 men) were required to perform elbow-toe and hand-heel exercises for 30 seconds in both cases. Before and 1 minute after the execution of the 2 exercises, the subjects repeated 30 seconds of quiet standing with eyes closed 3 times on a force platform with intervals of 10 seconds between trials. The intervention of the 2 exercises induced significant decreases in the maximal range of mediolateral sway (34.7 +/- 7.0 mm to 30.2 +/- 6.1 mm, p = 0.0001), standard deviation of mediolateral sway (6.4 +/- 1.2 mm to 5.8 +/- 1.0 mm, p = 0.0006), the mean speed of anteroposterior sway (14.1 +/- 2.5 mm per second to 13.2 +/- 2.3 mm per second, p = 0.004), mean speed of mediolateral sway (22.8 +/- 2.8 mm per second to 20.9 +/- 2.3 mm per second, p = 0.004), sway speed (29.3 +/- 3.9 mm per second to 27.0 +/- 3.2 mm per second, p = 0.002), and sweep speed (73.2 +/- 23.4 mm per second to 62.0 +/- 19.7 mm per second, p = 0.005) of the COP trajectory, calculated from the force platform data. This result indicates that the practice of core stability exercises transiently decreases the area of the COP trajectory and its mediolateral and total excursions during quiet standing with the eyes closed. Performing core stability exercises as part of warm-up programs may be useful for temporarily improving postural control during standing in main exercise programs. PMID:20124792

Theoretical and empirical work indicates that the central nervous system is able to stabilize motor performance by selectively suppressing task-relevant variability (TRV), while allowing task-equivalent variability (TEV) to occur. During unperturbed bipedal standing, it has previously been observed that, for task variables such as the whole-body center of mass (CoM), TEV exceeds TRV in amplitude. However, selective control (and correction) of TRV should also lead to different temporal characteristics, with TEV exhibiting higher temporal persistence compared to TRV. The present study was specifically designed to test this prediction. Kinematics of prolonged quiet standing (5 minutes) was measured in fourteen healthy young participants, with eyes closed. Using the uncontrolled manifold analysis, postural variability in six sagittal joint angles was decomposed into TEV and TRV with respect to four task variables: (1) center of mass (CoM) position, (2) head position, (3) trunk orientation and (4) head orientation. Persistence of fluctuations within the two variability components was quantified by the time-lagged auto-correlation, with eight time lags between 1 and 128 seconds. The pattern of results differed between task variables. For three of the four task variables (CoM position, head position, trunk orientation), TEV significantly exceeded TRV over the entire 300 s-period.The autocorrelation analysis confirmed our main hypothesis for CoM position and head position: at intermediate and longer time delays, TEV exhibited higher persistence than TRV. Trunk orientation showed a similar trend, while head orientation did not show a systematic difference between TEV and TRV persistence. The combination of temporal and task-equivalent analyses in the present study allow a refined characterization of the dynamic control processes underlying the stabilization of upright standing. The results confirm the prediction, derived from computational motor control, that task

The control of upright stance is commonly explained on the basis of the single inverted pendulum model (ankle strategy) or the double inverted pendulum model (combination of ankle and hip strategy). Kinematic analysis using the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) approach suggests, however, that stability in upright standing results from coordinated movement of multiple joints. This is based on evidence that postural sway induces more variance in joint configurations that leave the body position in space invariant than in joint configurations that move the body in space. But does this UCM structure of kinematic variance truly reflect coordination at the level of the neural control strategy or could it result from passive biomechanical factors? To address this question, we applied the UCM approach at the level of muscle torques rather than joint angles. Participants stood on the floor or on a narrow base of support. We estimated torques at the ankle, knee, and hip joints using a model of the body dynamics. We then partitioned the joint torques into contributions from net, motion-dependent, gravitational, and generalized muscle torques. A UCM analysis of the structure of variance of the muscle torque revealed that postural sway induced substantially more variance in directions in muscle torque space that leave the Center of Mass (COM) force invariant than in directions that affect the force acting on the COM. This difference decreased when we decorrelated the muscle torque data by randomizing across time. Our findings show that the UCM structure of variance exists at the level of muscle torques and is thus not merely a by-product of biomechanical coupling. Because muscle torques reflect neural control signals more directly than joint angles do, our results suggest that the control strategy for upright stance involves the task-specific coordination of multiple degrees of freedom. PMID:26879770

Abstract Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by chronic fatigue and dizziness and affected individuals by definition have orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia. There is considerable overlap of symptoms in patients with POTS and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), prompting speculation that POTS is akin to a deconditioned state. We previously showed that adolescents with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have excessive heart rate (HR) during, and slower HR recovery after, exercise – hallmarks of deconditioning. We also noted exaggerated cardiac output during exercise which led us to hypothesize that tachycardia could be a manifestation of a high output state rather than a consequence of deconditioning. We audited records of adolescents presenting with long‐standing history of any mix of fatigue, dizziness, nausea, who underwent both head‐up tilt table test and maximal exercise testing with measurement of cardiac output at rest plus 2–3 levels of exercise, and determined the cardiac output () versus oxygen uptake () relationship. Subjects with chronic fatigue were diagnosed with POTS if their HR rose ≥40 beat·min−1 with head‐up tilt. Among 107 POTS patients the distribution of slopes for the , relationship was skewed toward higher slopes but showed two peaks with a split at ~7.0 L·min−1 per L·min−1, designated as normal (5.08 ± 1.17, N = 66) and hyperkinetic (8.99 ± 1.31, N = 41) subgroups. In contrast, cardiac output rose appropriately with in 141 patients with chronic fatigue but without POTS, exhibiting a normal distribution and an average slope of 6.10 ± 2.09 L·min−1 per L·min−1. Mean arterial blood pressure and pulse pressure from rest to exercise rose similarly in both groups. We conclude that 40% of POTS adolescents demonstrate a hyperkinetic circulation during exercise. We attribute this to failure of normal regional vasoconstriction during exercise, such that patients must increase

[Purpose] This study aimed to quantitatively assess postural alignment in both frontal and sagittal planes, as well as pain in children and adolescents victims of burn injuries. [Subjects and Methods] This cross-sectional study included 21 victims of burns, nine children (age [mean ± SD], 7.3 ± 1.1 yrs) and 12 adolescents (12,0 ± 1.4 yrs), classified as medium and large burns, being investigated on pain and postural alignment evaluated by photogrammetry. Pain intensity was assessed by face scales and postural examination included the assessment of global and thoraco-lumbo-pelvic alignment by previously designed protocols. [Results] Only two adolescents reported mild pain associated with burn injuries, whereas deviations of the projection of the gravity center; forward head posture, and scapular asymmetry were observed in both groups. In the analysis of the thoraco-lumbo-pelvic alignment, children tended to have anterior inclination trunk, increased thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, while in adolescents, increased thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were observed. [Conclusion] The results indicate that due to the postural alterations and asymmetries in both frontal and sagittal planes, there is an increased risk of developing scoliosis and possible future pain. Thus, physiotherapy is indicated and should be maintained until complete growth is reached. PMID:26834321

[Purpose] This study aimed to quantitatively assess postural alignment in both frontal and sagittal planes, as well as pain in children and adolescents victims of burn injuries. [Subjects and Methods] This cross-sectional study included 21 victims of burns, nine children (age [mean ± SD], 7.3 ± 1.1 yrs) and 12 adolescents (12,0 ± 1.4 yrs), classified as medium and large burns, being investigated on pain and postural alignment evaluated by photogrammetry. Pain intensity was assessed by face scales and postural examination included the assessment of global and thoraco-lumbo-pelvic alignment by previously designed protocols. [Results] Only two adolescents reported mild pain associated with burn injuries, whereas deviations of the projection of the gravity center; forward head posture, and scapular asymmetry were observed in both groups. In the analysis of the thoraco-lumbo-pelvic alignment, children tended to have anterior inclination trunk, increased thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, while in adolescents, increased thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were observed. [Conclusion] The results indicate that due to the postural alterations and asymmetries in both frontal and sagittal planes, there is an increased risk of developing scoliosis and possible future pain. Thus, physiotherapy is indicated and should be maintained until complete growth is reached. PMID:26834321

Adolescent female athletes have a higher incidence of certain non-contact lower limb injuries compared to their male counterparts. Decreased postural stability is an established risk factor for lower limb injuries; however developmental-related sex differences in postural stability during adolescence have not been investigated. The objectives of this study were to longitudinally examine changes over time, and potential sex differences in dynamic postural stability performance in adolescents. One hundred and eighty four adolescent athletes participated (mean age=13±0.34 years). Participants were assessed, using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) at baseline (T1) and at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), 18 (T4) and 24 (T5) months. At each time-point, participants performed 3 trials of the anterior, posterior-medial and posterior-lateral directions of the SEBT on each limb. Reach distance for each direction was averaged across the 3 trials normalised to leg length. General linear mixed model analyses were carried out on each of the dependant variables (reach directions) with sex and time as the categorical independent variables. There was a significant sex×time interaction for the posterior-lateral reach distance scores. There were no significant sex×time interactions for any of the other reach directions. Males increased performance on the posterior-lateral reach direction from T1 to T5, while females only increased performance until T3. Young males and females demonstrate diverging postural stability profiles during adolescence. PMID:27285476

The aim of this study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) coherence between the lower limb and the core muscles when carrying out two postural tasks at different difficulty levels. EMG was recorded in 20 healthy male subjects while performing two independent quiet standing tasks. The first one involved a bipedal stance with the eyes open, while the second consisted of a dominant unipedal stance also with the eyes open. The obtained EMG signals were analysed by computing estimations of EMG-EMG coherence between muscle pairs, both singly (single-pair estimations) and combined (pooled estimations). Pooled and single coherence of anterior, posterior, core, antagonist and mixed pairs of muscles were significant in the 0-5 Hz frequency band. The results indicate that core and antagonist muscle groups, such as the anterior and posterior muscles, share low-frequency neural inputs (0-5 Hz) which could be responsible of the M-modes assembly. The core muscles could therefore provide the necessary synergy to maintain spine stability during the balancing exercise. Finally, differences in EMG-EMG coherence suggest that the muscle synergies formed during unipedal stance tasks are different from those established during bipedal stance. PMID:26942928

The purpose of this study was to examine muscle activation patterns during standing leg single leg flexion in adults with hemiparesis. Specifically, the electromyographic activation patterns of the flexing limb biceps femoris and gluteus medius, and the stance limb gluteus medius muscles were analyzed as a function of whether the muscles were paretic or not. Delayed activation of the affected flexing side gluteus medius, as compared with unaffected flexing side gluteus medius, resulted in it being activated simultaneous with the flexing biceps femoris rather than preceding it as was previously found in healthy subjects. This suggests a temporal change in the sequential mode of coordination of the postural and intended components of the task. In addition, the magnitude of the electromyographic integrals of both the affected and unaffected flexing side gluteus medius in the early propulsive phase of the task was significantly reduced in comparison with healthy subjects. These alterations can be attributed to spatial alterations in the sequential form of organization or to a shift to a different mode of neural control in order to perform a relatively novel task. These results suggest a potential adaptive capacity in these individuals. PMID:9152210

In a study on postural stability, the authors examined whether the effects of mental rotation (MR) intervention using a foot stimulus would last for a relatively long time (up to 60 min). The participants performed a randomly assigned MR task (using foot stimuli, hand stimuli, or non-body-related stimuli [car]) for 10 min. The amount of body sway during unipedal standing was measured immediately after the intervention and 10, 30, and 60 min after the intervention. Results showed that MR intervention using foot stimuli was more effective than that using hand or car stimuli. This suggests that foot stimuli, rather than body-related stimuli, would be advantageous for the intervention. The results show that beneficial effects were observed 60 min after the intervention; this indicates that the effects of the foot MR were unlikely to be explained on the basis of enhanced corticospinal excitability involving motor execution. The authors discuss a potential explanation for the effects and application of the MR task in a clinical setting. PMID:27162153

The development of upright postural control has often been investigated using time series of center of foot pressure (COP), which is proportional to the ankle joint torque (i.e., the motor output of a single joint). However, the center of body mass acceleration (COMacc), which can reflect joint motions throughout the body as well as multi-joint coordination, is useful for the assessment of the postural control strategy at the whole-body level. The purpose of the present study was to investigate children’s postural control during quiet standing by using the COMacc. Ten healthy children and 15 healthy young adults were instructed to stand upright quietly on a force platform with their eyes open or closed. The COMacc as well as the COP in the anterior–posterior direction was obtained from ground reaction force measurement. We found that both the COMacc and COP could clearly distinguish the difference between age groups and visual conditions. We also found that the sway frequency of COMacc in children was higher than that in adults, for which differences in biomechanical and/or neural factors between age groups may be responsible. Our results imply that the COMacc can be an alternative force platform measure for assessing developmental changes in upright postural control. PMID:26447883

This study determined the feasibility and performance of center of mass (COM) acceleration feedback control of a neuroprosthesis utilizing functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) to restore standing balance to a single subject paralyzed by a motor and sensory complete, thoracic-level spinal cord injury (SCI). An artificial neural network (ANN) was created to map gain-modulated changes in total body COM acceleration estimated from body-mounted sensors to optimal changes in stimulation required to maintain standing. Feedback gains were systematically tuned to minimize the upper extremity (UE) loads applied by the subject to an instrumented support device during internally generated postural perturbations produced by volitional reaching and object manipulation. Total body COM acceleration was accurately estimated (> 90% variance explained) from two three-dimensional (3-D) accelerometers mounted on the pelvis and torso. Compared to constant muscle stimulation employed clinically, COM acceleration feedback control of stimulation improved standing performance by reducing the UE loading required to resist internal postural disturbances by 27%. This case study suggests that COM acceleration feedback could potentially be advantageous in a standing neuroprosthesis since it can be implemented with only a few feedback parameters and requires minimal instrumentation for comprehensive, 3-D control of dynamic standing function. PMID:23299260

Is there an association between variables of postural control and strength in adolescents? The risk of sustaining sport injuries is particularly high in adolescents. Deficits in postural control and muscle strength represent 2 important intrinsic injury risk factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between variables of static and dynamic postural control and isometric and dynamic muscle strength and to find out whether there is an association between measures of postural control and muscle strength. Twenty-eight adolescents participated in this study (age 16.8 ± 0.6 years; body mass index 20.5 ± 1.8 kg · m(-2)). Biomechanic tests included the measurements of maximal isometric leg extension force (MIF) and rate of force development (RFDmax) of the leg extensors on a leg press with the feet resting on a force platform, vertical jumping force, and height (countermovement jump [CMJ]) on a force plate and the assessment of static (1-legged stance on a balance platform) and dynamic (mediolateral perturbation impulse on a balance platform) postural control. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. No significant associations were observed between measures of static and dynamic postural control. Significant positive correlations were detected between variables of isometric and dynamic muscle strength with r-values ranging from 0.441 to 0.779 (p < 0.05). Based on these models, a 100-N increase in MIF of the leg extensors was associated with 3.9, 4.2, and 6.5% better maximal CMJ force, CMJ height, and RFDmax, respectively. No significant correlations were observed between variables of postural control and muscle strength. The nonsignificant correlation between static/dynamic postural control and muscle strength implies that primarily dynamic measures of postural control should be incorporated in injury risk assessment and that postural control and muscle strength are independent of each other and may have to be trained

We investigated how vestibulo-spinal reflexes (VSRs) and vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VORs) measured through vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) and video head impulse test (vHIT) outcomes, respectively, are modulated during standing under conditions of increased postural threat. Twenty-five healthy young adults stood quietly at low (0.8 m from the ground) and high (3.2 m) surface height conditions in two experiments. For the first experiment (n = 25) VEMPs were recorded with surface EMG from inferior oblique (IO), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), trapezius (TRP), and soleus (SOL) muscles in response to 256 air-conducted short tone bursts (125 dB SPL, 500 Hz, 4 ms) delivered via headphones. A subset of subjects (n = 19) also received horizontal and vertical head thrusts (∼150°/s) at each height in a separate session, comparing eye and head velocities by using a vHIT system for calculating the functional VOR gains. VEMP amplitudes (IO, TRP, SOL) and horizontal and vertical vHIT gains all increased with high surface height conditions (P < 0.05). Changes in IO and SCM VEMP amplitudes as well as horizontal vHIT gains were correlated with changes in electrodermal activity (ρ = 0.44-0.59, P < 0.05). VEMP amplitude for the IO also positively correlated with fear (ρ = 0.43, P = 0.03). Threat-induced anxiety, fear, and arousal have significant effects on VSR and VOR gains that can be observed in both physiological and functional outcome measures. These findings provide support for a potential central modulation of the vestibular nucleus complex through excitatory inputs from neural centers involved in processing fear, anxiety, arousal, and vigilance. PMID:26631147

The measurement method of three-dimensional posture and flying trajectory of lower body during jumping motion using body-mounted wireless inertial measurement units (WIMU) is introduced. The WIMU is composed of three-dimensional (3D) accelerometer and gyroscope of two kinds with different dynamic range and one 3D geomagnetic sensor to adapt to quick movement. Three WIMUs are mounted under the chest, right thigh and right shank. Thin film pressure sensors are connected to the shank WIMU and are installed under right heel and tiptoe to distinguish the state of the body motion between grounding and jumping. Initial and final postures of trunk, thigh and shank at standing-still are obtained using gravitational acceleration and geomagnetism. The posture of body is determined using the 3D direction of each segment updated by the numerical integration of angular velocity. Flying motion is detected from pressure sensors and 3D flying trajectory is derived by the double integration of trunk acceleration applying the 3D velocity of trunk at takeoff. Standing long jump experiments are performed and experimental results show that the joint angle and flying trajectory agree with the actual motion measured by the optical motion capture system. PMID:24110831

Due to high training loads and frequently repeated unilateral exercises, several types of sports training can have an impact on the process of posture development in young athletes. The objective of the study was to assess and compare the postures of adolescent male volleyball players and their non-training peers. The study group comprised 104 volleyball players while the control group consisted of 114 non-training individuals aged 14-16 years. Body posture was assessed by the Moiré method. The volleyball players were significantly taller, and had greater body weight and fat-free mass. The analysis of posture relative to symmetry in the frontal and transverse planes did not show any significant differences between the volleyball players and non-athletes. Postural asymmetries were observed in both the volleyball players and the control participants. Lumbar lordosis was significantly less defined in the volleyball players compared to non-training individuals while no difference was observed in thoracic kyphosis. All athletes demonstrated a loss of lumbar lordosis and an increase in thoracic kyphosis. Significant differences in anteroposterior curvature of the spine between the volleyball players and the non-athletes might be associated with both training and body height. Considering the asymmetric spine overloads which frequently occur in sports training, meticulous posture assessment in young athletes seems well justified. PMID:25729154

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between behavioral risk factors, specifically postural habits, with the presence of structural changes in the spinal column of children and adolescents. METHODS: 59 students were evaluated through the self-reporting Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument and spinal panoramic radiographic examination. Spine curvatures were classified based on Cobb angles, as normal or altered in the saggital plane and as normal or scoliotic in the frontal plane. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0, based on descriptive statistics and chi-square association test (a=0,05). RESULTS: The prevalence of postural changes was 79.7% (n=47), of which 47.5% (n=28) showed frontal plane changes and 61% (n=36) sagital plane changes. Significant association was found between the presence of thoracic kyphosis and female gender, practice of physical exercises only once or twice a week, sleep time greater than 10 hours, inadequate postures when sitting on a seat and sitting down to write, and how school supplies are carried. Lumbar lordosis was associated with the inadequate way of carrying the school backpack (asymmetric); and scoliosis was associated wuth the practice of competitive sports and sleep time greater than 10 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle may be associated with postural changes. It is important to develop health policies in order to reduce the prevalence of postural changes, by decreasing the associated risk factors. PMID:25623725

In this simulation study, we present and examine methods to develop a feedback controller for a neuroprosthesis that restores forward and side leaning function during standing following complete thoracic-level spinal cord injury. Achieving leaning postures away from erect stance with functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) would allow users to extend their reaching capabilities. Utilizing a 3-D computer model of human stance, an FNS control system based on total-body center of mass (CoM) kinematics (position, acceleration) is developed and tested in simulation. CoM kinematics drive an artificial neural network to modulate muscle excitations and reduce the upper extremity loading, presumably against a walker or similar support surface, required to resist the effects of postural perturbations. Furthermore, a novel method to robustly estimate the feedback kinematics for standing applications is also presented while assuming 3-D accelerometer signals at locations consistent with a proposed implantable networked neuroprosthesis system. For shifting and balance at leaning postures, respectively, center of mass position and acceleration could be approximated to within 20 % of the maximum value, with strong correlations (R > 0.9) between values estimated by the proposed method and the true values derived from model dynamics. When utilizing the estimated feedback kinematics for FNS control, standing performance in terms of maximum upper extremity loading was still significantly reduced (p standing function by FNS. PMID:26324246

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of wearing the tight pants on the trunk flexion and pelvic tilting angles in the stand-to-sit movement and a seated posture. [Subjects] Nine male subjects were recruited. [Methods] The trunk flexion angle and pelvic posterior tilting angle were measured using a motion-capture system during the stand-to-sit movement and in a seated posture. [Results] The trunk flexion and the posterior pelvic tilting angles during the stand-to-sit movement and in the seated posture when wearing tight pants significantly increased compared with those when wearing of general pants. [Conclusion] Therefore, wearing tight pants could produce musculoskeletal disorders via abnormal movement and posture in the lumbar spine and pelvis. So the effects of wearing tight pants need to be investigated in further studies to reveal their direct relationship to musculoskeletal problems. PMID:26957736

sEMG analysis of astronaut upper arm during isotonic muscle actions with normal standingposture*1 Introduction Now the research on the isotonic muscle actions by using Surface Electromyography (sEMG) is becoming a pop topic in fields of astronaut life support training and rehabilitations. And researchers paid more attention on the sEMG signal processes for reducing the influence of noise which is produced during monitoring process and the fatigue estimation of isotonic muscle actions with different force levels by using the parameters which are obtained from sEMG signals such as Condition Velocity(CV), Median Frequency(MDF), Mean Frequency(MNF) and so on. As the lucubrated research is done, more and more research on muscle fatigue issue of isotonic muscle actions are carried out with sEMG analysis and subjective estimate system of Borg scales at the same time. In this paper, the relationship between the variable for fatigue based on sEMG and the Borg scale during the course of isotonic muscle actions of the upper arm with different contraction levels are going to be investigated. Methods 13 young male subjects(23.4±2.45years, 64.7±5.43Kg, 171.7±5.41cm) with normal standingpostures were introduced to do isotonic actions of the upper arm with different force levels(10% MVC, 30%MVC and 50%MVC). And the MVC which means maximal voluntary contraction was obtained firstly in the experiment. Also the sEMG would be recorded during the experiments; the Borg scales would be recorded for each contraction level. By using one-third band octave method, the fatigue variable (p) based on sEMG were set up and it was expressed as p = i g(fi ) · F (fi ). And g(fi ) is defined as the frequent factor which was 0.42+0.5 cos(π fi /f0 )+0.08 cos(2π fi /f0 ), 0 < FI fi 0, orf0 ≤> f0 . According to the equations, the p could be computed and the relationship between variable p and the Borg scale would be investigated. Results In the research, three kinds of fitted curves between

Right brain damage (RBD) following stroke often causes significant postural instability. In standing (without vision), patients with RBD are more unstable than those with left brain damage (LBD). We hypothesised that this postural instability would relate to the cortical integration of proprioceptive afferents. The aim of this study was to use tendon vibration to investigate whether these changes were specific to the paretic or non-paretic limbs. 14 LBD, 12 RBD patients and 20 healthy subjects were included. Displacement of the Centre of Pressure (CoP) was recorded during quiet standing, then during 3 vibration conditions (80 Hz - 20s): paretic limb, non-paretic limb (left and right limbs for control subjects) and bilateral. Vibration was applied separately to the peroneal and Achilles tendons. Mean antero-posterior position of the CoP, variability and velocity were calculated before (4s), during and after (24s) vibration. For all parameters, the strongest perturbation was during Achilles vibrations. The Achilles non-paretic condition induced a larger backward displacement than the Achilles paretic condition. This condition caused specific behaviour on the velocity: the LBD group was perturbed at the onset of the vibrations, but gradually recovered their stability; the RBD group was significantly perturbed thereafter. After bilateral Achilles vibration, RBD patients required the most time to restore initial posture. The reduction in use of information from the paretic limb may be a central strategy to deal with risk-of-fall situations such as during Achilles vibration. The postural behaviour is profoundly altered by lesions of the right hemisphere when proprioception is perturbed. PMID:26358149

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a multifactorial disorder including neurological factors. A dysfunction of the sensorimotor networks processing vestibular information could be related to spine deformation. This study investigates whether feed-forward vestibulomotor control or sensory reweighting mechanisms are impaired in adolescent scoliosis patients. Vestibular evoked postural responses were obtained using galvanic vestibular stimulation while participants stood with their eyes closed and head facing forward. Lateral forces under each foot and lateral displacement of the upper body of adolescents with mild (n = 20) or severe (n = 16) spine deformation were compared to those of healthy control adolescents (n = 16). Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients demonstrated greater lateral displacement and net lateral forces than controls both during and immediately after vestibular stimulation. Altered sensory reweighting of vestibular and proprioceptive information changed balance control of AIS patients during and after vestibular stimulation. Therefore, scoliosis onset could be related to abnormal sensory reweighting, leading to altered sensorimotor processes. PMID:26580068

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a multifactorial disorder including neurological factors. A dysfunction of the sensorimotor networks processing vestibular information could be related to spine deformation. This study investigates whether feed-forward vestibulomotor control or sensory reweighting mechanisms are impaired in adolescent scoliosis patients. Vestibular evoked postural responses were obtained using galvanic vestibular stimulation while participants stood with their eyes closed and head facing forward. Lateral forces under each foot and lateral displacement of the upper body of adolescents with mild (n = 20) or severe (n = 16) spine deformation were compared to those of healthy control adolescents (n = 16). Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients demonstrated greater lateral displacement and net lateral forces than controls both during and immediately after vestibular stimulation. Altered sensory reweighting of vestibular and proprioceptive information changed balance control of AIS patients during and after vestibular stimulation. Therefore, scoliosis onset could be related to abnormal sensory reweighting, leading to altered sensorimotor processes. PMID:26580068

sEMG analysis of astronaut upper arm during isotonic muscle actions with normal standingposture*1 Introduction Now the research on the isotonic muscle actions by using Surface Electromyography (sEMG) is becoming a pop topic in fields of astronaut life support training and rehabilitations. And researchers paid more attention on the sEMG signal processes for reducing the influence of noise which is produced during monitoring process and the fatigue estimation of isotonic muscle actions with different force levels by using the parameters which are obtained from sEMG signals such as Condition Velocity(CV), Median Frequency(MDF), Mean Frequency(MNF) and so on. As the lucubrated research is done, more and more research on muscle fatigue issue of isotonic muscle actions are carried out with sEMG analysis and subjective estimate system of Borg scales at the same time. In this paper, the relationship between the variable for fatigue based on sEMG and the Borg scale during the course of isotonic muscle actions of the upper arm with different contraction levels are going to be investigated. Methods 13 young male subjects(23.4±2.45years, 64.7±5.43Kg, 171.7±5.41cm) with normal standingpostures were introduced to do isotonic actions of the upper arm with different force levels(10% MVC, 30%MVC and 50%MVC). And the MVC which means maximal voluntary contraction was obtained firstly in the experiment. Also the sEMG would be recorded during the experiments; the Borg scales would be recorded for each contraction level. By using one-third band octave method, the fatigue variable (p) based on sEMG were set up and it was expressed as p = i g(fi ) · F (fi ). And g(fi ) is defined as the frequent factor which was 0.42+0.5 cos(π fi /f0 )+0.08 cos(2π fi /f0 ), 0 < FI fi 0, orf0 ≤> f0 . According to the equations, the p could be computed and the relationship between variable p and the Borg scale would be investigated. Results In the research, three kinds of fitted curves between

Previous reports on changes in postural control in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) compared to healthy controls have been inconsistent. This may suggest center of pressure (COP) sway parameters are not sufficient for determining the ability to maintain quiet upright stance indicating more complex measures may be needed to examine postural control in AIS. The purpose of this investigation was to compare postural control between AIS of different severity levels and healthy controls using time-to-contact (TtC), the complexity index of multiscale entropy (C(r)), and COP sway parameters. Thirty-six AIS patients were classified as pre-bracing or pre-operative and compared to 10 healthy control subjects. Overall, the AIS patients showed significantly greater COP sway in mediolateral direction, but deficits with respect to the anteroposterior direction were only systematically identified with the time-to-contact and entropy measures. The multiscale entropy (C(r)) results indicate that those with AIS utilize a different control strategy from healthy controls in the mediolateral direction that is more constrained, less complex and less adaptable. AIS severity further reduced this adaptability in the anteroposterior direction. These results indicate it is necessary to examine both planes of motion when investigating postural control in AIS. Additionally, the application of the measures used to assess the nature of the postural control changes in AIS should also be considered. PMID:21478018

In this paper, we present a novel decentralized robust methodology for control of quiet upright posture during arm-free paraplegic standing using functional electrical stimulation (FES). Each muscle-joint complex is considered as a subsystem and individual controllers are designed for each one. Each controller operates solely on its associated subsystem, with no exchange of information between them, and the interaction between the subsystems are taken as external disturbances. In order to achieve robustness with respect to external disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, model uncertainty and time-varying properties of muscle-joint dynamics, a robust control framework is proposed. The method is based on the synergistic combination of an adaptive nonlinear compensator with sliding mode control (SMC). Fuzzy logic system is used to represent unknown system dynamics for implementing SMC and an adaptive updating law is designed for online estimating the system parameters such that the global stability and asymptotic convergence to zero of tracking errors is guaranteed. The proposed controller requires no prior knowledge about the dynamics of system to be controlled and no offline learning phase. The results of experiments on three paraplegic subjects show that the proposed control strategy is able to maintain the vertical standingposture using only FES control of ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion without using upper limbs for support and to compensate the effect of external disturbances and muscle fatigue. PMID:21764350

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the sensory and anthropometric variables in the quiet standing. Methods. One hundred individuals (50 men, 50 women; 20–40 years old) participated in this study. For all participants, the body composition (fat tissue, lean mass, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density) and body mass, height, trunk-head length, lower limb length, and upper limb length were measured. The center of pressure was measured during the quiet standingposture, the eyes opened and closed with a force platform. Correlation and regression analysis were run to analyze the relation among body composition, anthropometric data, and postural sway. Results. The correlation analysis showed low relation between postural sway and anthropometric variables. The multiple linear regression analyses showed that the height explained 12% of the mediolateral displacement and 11% of the center of pressure area. The length of the trunk head explained 6% of displacement in the anteroposterior postural sway. During eyes closed condition, the support basis and height explained 18% of mediolateral postural sway. Conclusion. The postural control depends on body composition and dimension. This relation is mediated by the sensory information. The height was the anthropometric variable that most influenced the postural sway. PMID:26539550

Sudden application of load along a sagittal or coronal axis has been used to study trunk stiffness, but not axial (vertical) load. This study introduces a new method for sudden-release axial load perturbation. Prima facie validity was supported by comparison with standard mechanical systems. We report the response of the human body to axial perturbation in sitting and standing and within-day repeatability of measures. Load of 20% of body weight was released from light contact onto the shoulders of 22 healthy participants (10 males). Force input was measured via force transducers at shoulders, output via a force plate below the participant, and kinematics via 3-D motion capture. System identification was used to fit data from the time of load release to time of peak load-displacement, fitting with a 2nd-order mass-spring-damper system with a delay term. At peak load-displacement, the mean (SD) effective stiffness measured with this device for participants in sitting was 12.0(3.4)N/mm, and in standing was 13.3(4.2)N/mm. Peak force output exceeded input by 44.8 (10.0)% in sitting and by 30.4(7.9)% in standing. Intra-class correlation coefficients for within-day repeatability of axial stiffness were 0.58 (CI: -0.03 to 0.83) in sitting and 0.82(0.57-0.93) in standing. Despite greater degrees of freedom in standing than sitting, standing involved lesser time, downward displacement, peak output force and was more repeatable in defending upright postural control against the same axial loads. This method provides a foundation for future studies of neuromuscular control with axial perturbation. PMID:26968087

Previous studies reported that children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibited premature anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) with high variability and excessive activity in the frontal plane. To better understand the effects of gross motor functioning level on APAs over the life course, the authors examined the presence and consistency of APAs in 11 adults with diplegia at 2 functioning levels against 8 age-matched healthy adults during unilateral and bilateral reaching. Results revealed an anticipatory vertical torque (TZ) and an increased likelihood of APAs during bilateral reaching for the lower functioning group. It is postulated that APAs may first emerge in TZ in CP. Results also indicated an excessive premovement postural activity in the frontal plane in both CP groups. PMID:26730748

Prolonged standing has been associated with loss of balance, onset of low back pain symptoms and development of fatigue in lower extremity muscles in working populations. Although so far, it is unknown how individuals postural stability is affected by standing on rigid versus cushioned platform but many industries are opting for anti-fatigue mats at workstations to reduce fall and injury related socio-economic cost. The goal of this study is to test SATECH's anti-fatigue mat for its effects on postural stability. A pilot test with seven healthy subjects (2535 years old) has been conducted with a force plate to obtain kinetics of body when standing on two different platforms. The centers of pressure (COP) position of subjects were determined on rigid and anti-fatigue mats for quiet stance (each trial 60 seconds). In order to understand postural control along with dynamic or stochastic characteristics of the COP, stabilogram diffusion analysis (SDA) and Invariant density analysis methods are used. Subject specific patterns were seen in stabilogram diffusion plots and associated parameters in both conditions. We also found differences in some postural sway SDA parameters with anti-fatigue mats compared to rigid vinyl floor standing with open eyes condition. But no significant differences were found in sway IDA parameters. This work further provides insights whether anti fatigue mats can be helpful to workers involved with prolonged standing tasks. PMID:22846314

Current evidence suggests that acute bouts of lower limb exercise elicits a number of adverse effects on both sensory and motor components of postural control. The effects of acute exercise on quiet standing balance while concurrently performing an attentional task remains equivocal. This study aimed to compare the alterations in postural control and attentional demands elicited by upper and lower limb exercise. Twelve healthy young males (mean ± SD age, 22.2 ± 3.2 years) were examined on six separate occasions. The first two visits determined maximal aerobic fitness on an arm crank ergometer (ACE) and cycle ergometer (CYC). Subsequently, participant's postural sway was assessed during single- (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions before and immediately after moderate- and high-intensity exercise engaging the upper or lower body musculature. The order of the four exercise tests was counterbalanced. The centre of pressure displacement in the anteroposterior (COPAP) and mediolateral (COPML) directions and the COP path length (COPL) were computed using a force platform. A time × mode interaction was observed for COPAP (ST; p = 0.011, DT; p = 0.018) and COPML (ST; p = 0.001). CYC elicited large (ES; 1.6-2.0) increases in COPAP and COPML, but there were no differences between aerobic and anaerobic tests (p > 0.05). The effect of cognitive load appeared to increase sway in the frontal plane following anaerobic CYC (p = 0.001) but not ACE (p < 0.05). Exercise has different effects on frontal and sagittal plane sway following different cognitive loads. In particular, COPML was increased at the cost of maintaining attentional performance following exercise. PMID:25791429

To highlight the capacity of one- and two-legged standing protocols when assessing postural behavior induced by a rigid ankle orthosis, 14 healthy individuals stood upright barefoot and wore either an elastic stocking on the preferred leg or a rigid orthosis with or without additional taping in one- or two-legged (TL) conditions. Traditional…

This study investigated the use of center of mass (COM) acceleration feedback for improving performance of a functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) control system to restore standing function to a subject with complete, thoracic-level spinal cord injury (SCI). The approach for linearly relating changes in muscle stimulation to changes in COM acceleration was verified experimentally and subsequently produced data to create an input-output map driven by sensor feedback. The feedback gains were systematically tuned to reduce upper extremity (UE) loads applied to an instrumented support device while resisting external postural disturbances. Total body COM acceleration was accurately estimated (> 89% variance explained) using three-dimensional (3-D) outputs of two accelerometers mounted on the pelvis and torso. Compared to constant muscle stimulation employed clinically, feedback control of stimulation reduced UE loading by 33%. COM acceleration feedback is advantageous in constructing a standing neuroprosthesis since it provides the basis for a comprehensive control synergy about a global, dynamic variable and requires minimal instrumentation. Future work should include tuning and testing the feedback control system during functional reaching activity that is more indicative of activities of daily living. PMID:22987499

Background Reducing sitting-time may decrease risk of disease and increase life-span. In the search for approaches to reduce sitting-time, research often compares sitting to standing and ambulation, but the energetic cost of standing alone versus sitting is equivocal, with large variation in reported mean values (0% to >20% increase in energy expenditure (EE) during standing). Objective To determine the magnitude and time-course of changes in EE and respiratory quotient (RQ) during steady-state standing versus sitting. Design Min-by-min monitoring using a posture-adapted ventilated-hood indirect calorimetry system was conducted in 22 young adults with normal BMI during 10 min of steady-state standing versus sitting comfortably. Results This study reveals three distinct phenotypes based on the magnitude and time-course of the EE response to steady-state standing. One-third of participants (8/22) showed little or no change in EE during standing relative to sitting (ΔEE <5%; below first quartile). Of the 14 responders (ΔEE 7–21%), 4 showed sustained, elevated EE during standing, while 10 decreased their EE to baseline sitting values during the second half of the standing period. These EE phenotypes were systematically mirrored by alterations in RQ (a proxy of substrate oxidation), with ΔEE inversely correlated with ΔRQ (r = 0.6–0.8, p<0.01). Conclusion This study reveals different phenotypes pertaining to both energy cost and fuel utilization during standing, raising questions regarding standing as a strategy to increase EE and thermogenesis for weight control, and opening new avenues of research towards understanding the metabolic and psychomotor basis of variability in the energetics of standing and posture maintenance. PMID:23741514

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare postural control in typically developing (TD) children and children with cerebral palsy (CP) during the sit-to-stand (STS) movement and to assess the relationship between static (during static standing position) and dynamic postural control (during STS movement) in both groups. METHOD: The center of pressure (CoP) behavior of 23 TD children and 6 children with spastic hemiplegic CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] I and II) was assessed during STS movement performance and during static standing conditions with the use of a force plate. The data obtained from the force plate were used to calculate CoP variables: anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) amplitudes of CoP displacement and the area and velocity of CoP oscillation. RESULTS: According to the Mann-Whitney test, children with CP exhibited higher CoP values in all of the analyzed variables during the beginning of STS movement. Pearson's correlation verified a positive correlation between the CoP variables during both static conditions and the performance of STS movement. CONCLUSIONS: Children with spastic hemiplegic CP present major postural oscillations during the beginning of STS movement compared with typical children. Moreover, the observed relationship between postural control in static and dynamic conditions reveals the importance of body control in the static position for the performance of functional activities that put the body in motion, such as STS movement. PMID:25651131

Age-related decrements within the sensorimotor system may lead to alterations and impairments in postural control, but a link to a vestibular mechanism is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether vestibular control of standing balance is altered with adult aging. Eight old (~77 years) and eight young (~26 years) men stood without aids on a commercially available force plate with their head turned to the right, arms relaxed at their sides and eyes closed while receiving stochastic vestibular stimuli (0-25 Hz, root mean square amplitude=0.85 mA). Surface electromyography signals were sampled from the left soleus, medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior. Whole-body balance, as measured by the anteroposterior forces and muscle responses, was quantified using frequency (coherence and gain functions) and time (cumulant density function) domain correlations with the vestibular stimuli. Old men exhibited a compressed frequency response of the vestibular reflex with a greater relative gain at lower frequencies for the plantar flexors and anteroposterior forces than young. In the time domain, the peak amplitude of the short latency response was 45-64% lower for the plantar flexors and anteroposterior forces (p≤0.05) in the old than young, but not for the tibialis anterior (p=0.21). The old men had a 190% and 31% larger medium latency response for only the tibialis anterior and anteroposterior forces, respectively, than young (p≤0.01). A strong correlation between the tibialis anterior and the force response was also detected (r=0.80, p<0.01). In conclusion, net vestibular-evoked muscle responses led to smaller short and larger medium latency peak amplitudes in anteroposterior forces for the old. The present results likely resulted from a compressed and lower operational frequency range of the vestibular reflexes and the activation of additional muscles (tibialis anterior) to maintain standing balance. PMID:25456846

What happens at the sensory level when a person is balancing on compliant surfaces? Compliant surfaces such as both-sides-up (BOSU) balls are often used as a form of "proprioceptive exercises." Clinical theories in neurorehabilitation suggest that compliant surfaces disrupt the somatosensory contribution to balance and increase reliance on vision and vestibular input. Understanding the sensory aspects of compliant surfaces' exercises would have important implications for balance training of athletes and of people with somatosensory deficits such as people with recurrent ankle sprains. We tested this clinical theory in a sample of 30 healthy young adults and 10 adults with a history of repeated ankle sprains while they were standing on a BOSU ball, memory foam, or floor. We measured participants' center of pressure response to dots projected on a screen, moving mediolaterally at one of the 3 frequencies (0.4, 0.48, and 0.56 Hz). We calculated magnitude of the postural response (gains) and participants' primary frequency (PF) of sway and compared it between surfaces per frequency. In both groups, gains were significantly higher on the BOSU compared with floor or foam (p < 0.001) with no significant difference between floor and foam. The PF difference was significant (p < 0.001) with a clear peak matching of the visual stimulation frequency only on the BOSU. During a single session of stance on compliant surfaces, visual dependence was a dominant factor on a challenging condition. When prescribing BOSU exercises to young adults as specific balance training, trainers should consider its effect on increased visual dependence with respect to that session's goals. PMID:26402476

The Microsoft Kinect V2 for Windows, also known as the Xbox One Kinect, includes new and potentially far improved depth and image sensors which may increase its accuracy for assessing postural control and balance. The aim of this study was to assess the concurrent validity and reliability of kinematic data recorded using a marker-based three dimensional motion analysis (3DMA) system and the Kinect V2 during a variety of static and dynamic balance assessments. Thirty healthy adults performed two sessions, separated by one week, consisting of static standing balance tests under different visual (eyes open vs. closed) and supportive (single limb vs. double limb) conditions, and dynamic balance tests consisting of forward and lateral reach and an assessment of limits of stability. Marker coordinate and joint angle data were concurrently recorded using the Kinect V2 skeletal tracking algorithm and the 3DMA system. Task-specific outcome measures from each system on Day 1 and 2 were compared. Concurrent validity of trunk angle data during the dynamic tasks and anterior-posterior range and path length in the static balance tasks was excellent (Pearson's r>0.75). In contrast, concurrent validity for medial-lateral range and path length was poor to modest for all trials except single leg eyes closed balance. Within device test-retest reliability was variable; however, the results were generally comparable between devices. In conclusion, the Kinect V2 has the potential to be used as a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of some aspects of balance performance. PMID:26009500

Posture control during a dual-task involves changing the distribution of attention resources between the cognitive and motor tasks and involves the frontal cortex working memory (WM). The present study aimed to better understand the impact of frontal lobe activity and WM capacity in postural control during a dual-task. High and low WM-span groups were compared using their reading span test scores. High and low WM capacity were compared based on cognitive and balance performance and hemoglobin oxygenation (oxyHb) levels during standing during single (S-S), standing during dual (S-D), one leg standing during single (O-S), and one leg standing during dual (O-D) tasks. For sway pass length, significant difference in only the O-D task was observed between both groups. oxyHb levels were markedly increased in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area in the high-span group during a dual-task. Therefore, WM capacity influenced the allocation of attentional resources and motor performance. PMID:27034947

Posture control during a dual-task involves changing the distribution of attention resources between the cognitive and motor tasks and involves the frontal cortex working memory (WM). The present study aimed to better understand the impact of frontal lobe activity and WM capacity in postural control during a dual-task. High and low WM-span groups were compared using their reading span test scores. High and low WM capacity were compared based on cognitive and balance performance and hemoglobin oxygenation (oxyHb) levels during standing during single (S-S), standing during dual (S-D), one leg standing during single (O-S), and one leg standing during dual (O-D) tasks. For sway pass length, significant difference in only the O-D task was observed between both groups. oxyHb levels were markedly increased in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area in the high-span group during a dual-task. Therefore, WM capacity influenced the allocation of attentional resources and motor performance. PMID:27034947

The current study sheds some light on the extent to which adolescents say they are experiencing bullying, what they think they would do when confronted with bullies, and what they have actually done in the past when witnessing bullying. Results from a survey of 1,742 adolescents indicates even young adolescents have already experienced verbal,…

A previous review concluded that postural sway is increased in patients with low back pain (LBP). However, more detailed analysis of the literature shows that postural deficit may be dependent on experimental conditions in which patients with LBP have been assessed. The research question to be answered in this review was: "Is there any difference in postural sway between subjects with and without LBP across several sensory manipulation conditions?". A literature search in Pubmed, Scopus, Embase and PsychInfo was performed followed by hand search and contact with authors. Studies investigating postural sway during bipedal stance without applying external forces in patients with specific and non-specific LBP compared to healthy controls were included. Twenty three articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Most studies reported an increased postural sway in LBP, or no effect of LBP on postural sway. In a minority of studies, a decreased sway was found in LBP patients. There were no systematic differences between studies finding an effect and those reporting no effect of LBP. The proportion of studies finding between-group differences did not increase with increased complexity of sensory manipulations. Potential factors that may have caused inconsistencies in the literature are discussed in this systematic review. PMID:22796243

For adolescent people with ID, falls are more common compared to peers without ID. However, postural balance among this group is not thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to compare balance and muscle performance among adolescents aged between 16 and 20 years with a mild to moderate intellectual disability (ID) to age-matched…

Purpose/Background: Postural control assessments can provide a powerful means of detecting concussion‐related neurophysiological abnormalities and are considered an important part of the concussion management processes. Studies with college athletes indicate that postural sway analyzed using complexity metrics may provide a sensitive and novel way to detect post‐concussion postural control impairments. The purpose of this study was to determine if a postural sway assessment protocol (PSAP) measured using a force plate system can serve as a reliable assessment tool for adolescent athletes. Methods: The short‐term and long‐term test‐retest reliability of the PSAP was examined in a group of adolescent female athletes under eyes open and eyes closed conditions. Detrended fluctuation analysis was used to evaluate the complexity of the times series data (i.e., degree of self‐similarity across time scales). Conventional measures of standard deviation and total path length (distance traveled by the center‐of‐pressure) were also assessed. Results: The complexity and conventional measures generally demonstrated good reliability coefficients for short‐term and long‐term test‐retest reliability with both eyes open and eyes closed conditions. Intra‐class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values ranged from .38‐.90 The highest ICC values corresponded with the short‐term reliability for the eyes open condition, while the lower ICC values corresponded with the long‐term reliability for the eyes closed condition. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the PSAP demonstrated good short‐term and long‐term test‐retest reliability. In addition, no evidence of learning effects was elicited through this study. Future studies should further explore the validity and feasibility of the use of this protocol for different age groups, different types of athletes, and longitudinal evaluations of post‐concussion impairments. Clinical Relevance: This

Prior empirical work has documented that the dynamics of social standing can play a critical role in the perpetration and receipt of aggression during adolescence. Recently, investigators have emphasized the emergence of new, electronic modalities for aggressive acts. Our longitudinal project therefore considered electronic forms of aggression and…

The aim of this study was to evaluate electromyographic (EMG) responses of erector spinae (ES) and lower limbs' muscles to dynamic forward postural perturbation (FPP) and backward postural perturbation (BPP) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and in a healthy control group. Ten right thoracic AIS patients (Cobb=21.6±4.4°) and 10 control adolescents were studied. Using bipolar surface electrodes, EMG activities of ES muscle at T10 (EST10) and L3 (ESL3) levels, biceps femoris (BF), gastrocnemius lateralis (G) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles in the right and the left sides during FPP and BPP were evaluated. Muscle responses were measured over a 1s time window after the onset of perturbation. In FPP test, the EMG responses of right EST10, ESL3 and BF muscles in the scoliosis group were respectively about 1.40 (p=0.035), 1.43 (p=0.07) and 1.45 (p=0.01) times greater than those in control group. Also, in BPP test, at right ESL3 muscle of the scoliosis group the EMG activity was 1.64 times higher than that in the control group (p=0.01). The scoliosis group during FPP displayed asymmetrical muscle responses in EST10 and BF muscles. This asymmetrical muscle activity in response to FPP is hypothesized to be a possible compensatory strategy rather than an inherent characteristic of scoliosis. PMID:25008019

The dose conversion coefficient (DCC) is important to quantify and assess effective doses associated with medical, professional and public exposures. The calculation of DCCs using anthropomorphic simulators and radiation transport codes is justified since in-vivo measurement of effective dose is extremely difficult and not practical for occupational dosimetry. DCCs have been published by the ICRP using simulators in a standingposture, which is not always applicable to all exposure scenarios, providing an inaccurate dose estimation. The aim of this work was to calculate DCCs for equivalent dose in terms of air kerma (H/Kair) using the Visual Monte Carlo (VMC) code and the VOXTISS8 adult male voxel simulator in sitting and standingpostures. In both postures, the simulator was irradiated by a plane source of monoenergetic photons in antero-posterior (AP) geometry. The photon energy ranged from 15 keV to 2 MeV. The DCCs for both postures were compared and the DCCs for the standing simulator were higher. For certain organs, the difference of DCCs were more significant, as in gonads (48% higher), bladder (16% higher) and colon (11% higher). As these organs are positioned in the abdominal region, the posture of the anthropomorphic simulator modifies the form in which the radiation is transported and how the energy is deposited. It was also noted that the average percentage difference of conversion coefficients was 33% for the bone marrow, 11% for the skin, 13% for the bone surface and 31% for the muscle. For other organs, the percentage difference of the DCCs for both postures was not relevant (less than 5%) due to no anatomical changes in the organs of the head, chest and upper abdomen. We can conclude that is important to obtain DCCs using different postures from those present in the scientific literature.

Background Postural control during rapid movements may be impaired due to musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental knee-related muscle pain on the center of pressure (CoP) displacement in a reaction time task condition. Methods Nine healthy males performed two reaction time tasks (dominant side shoulder flexion and bilateral heel lift) before, during, and after experimental pain induced in the dominant side vastus medialis or the tibialis anterior muscles by hypertonic saline injections. The CoP displacement was extracted from the ipsilateral and contralateral side by two force plates and the net CoP displacement was calculated. Results Compared with non-painful sessions, tibialis anterior muscle pain during the peak and peak-to-peak displacement for the CoP during anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) of the shoulder task reduced the peak-to-peak displacement of the net CoP in the medial-lateral direction (P<0.05). Tibialis anterior and vastus medialis muscle pain during shoulder flexion task reduced the anterior-posterior peak-to-peak displacement in the ipsilateral side (P<0.05). Conclusions The central nervous system in healthy individuals was sufficiently robust in maintaining the APA characteristics during pain, although the displacement of net and ipsilateral CoP in the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions during unilateral fast shoulder movement was altered. PMID:26680777

Deficits in strength of the lower extremities and postural control have been associated with a high risk of sustaining sport-related injuries. Such injuries often occur during physical education (PE) classes and mostly affect the lower extremities. Thus, the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of balance training on postural…

The purpose of this study was to document the muscle activity, spine motion, spine load, and stiffness during several movement-based or "functional" exercises and to assess the effect of technique change. Eight subjects, all healthy men from a university population, were instrumented to obtain surface electromyography of selected trunk and hip muscles, together with video analysis and electromagnetic lumbar spine position sensor to track spine posture. Exercises included a walkout in the sagittal plane that compared an upright form against a wall with those performed on the floor, overhead cable pushes, lateral cable walkouts, the good morning exercise, and the bowler's squat. Generally, muscle activation levels were quite modest even though the tasks were quite strenuous in many cases. Even though similar joint moments were required in different exercises, the pattern of activity between muscles was different. Abdominal bracing increased spine stiffness at the expense of more spine load. Thus, muscle activity seems to be constrained in "functional" exercises. There are several possible reasons for this. Single muscles cannot be activated to 100% of the maximum voluntary contraction in functional exercises because this would upset the balance of moments about the 3 orthopedic axes of the spine, or it would upset the balance of stiffening muscles around the spine required to ensure stability of the spinal column. The one exception was the floor walkout, which resulted in full activation of the rectus abdominis; however, this was a sagittal plane task without the joint moment constraints of multiplanar exercise. Therefore, maximal muscle activity is observed during single-plane tasks, but muscle activation levels were constrained during functional tasks. Thus, strength training muscles may not help in "functional multiplanar" tasks. These data can be used to assist decisions regarding the selection of exercises, specifically choices regarding the starting challenge

The effects of pelvic asymmetry and idiopathic scoliosis on postural balance during sitting were studied by measuring inclination angles, pressure distribution, and electromyography. Participants were classified into a control group, pelvic asymmetry group, scoliosis group, and scoliosis with pelvic asymmetry and then performed anterior, posterior, left, and right pelvic tilting while sitting on the unstable board for 5 seconds to assess their postural balance. Inclination and obliquity angles between the groups were measured by an accelerometer located on the unstable board. Pressure distribution (maximum force and peak pressure) was analyzed using a capacitive seat sensor. In addition, surface electrodes were attached to the abdominal and erector spinae muscles of each participant. Inclination and obliquity angles increased more asymmetrically in participants with both pelvic asymmetry and scoliosis than with pelvic asymmetry or scoliosis alone. Maximum forces and peak pressures of each group showed an asymmetrical pressure distribution caused by the difference in height between the left and right pelvis and curve type of the patients' spines when performing anterior, posterior, left, and right pelvic tilting while sitting. Muscle contraction patterns of external oblique, thoracic erector spinae, lumbar erector spinae, and lumbar multifidus muscles may be influenced by spine curve type and region of idiopathic scoliosis. Asymmetrical muscle activities were observed on the convex side of scoliotic patients and these muscle activity patterns were changed by the pelvic asymmetry. From these results, it was confirmed that pelvic asymmetry and idiopathic scoliosis cause postural asymmetry, unequal weight distribution, and muscular imbalance during sitting. PMID:26406054

Different functional roles for the hands have been demonstrated, however leg control is not as well understood. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate bilateral knee neuromuscular control to determine if the limb receiving greater attention would have more well-tuned control compared to an unattended limb. Surface electrodes were placed on seven muscles of each limb, before standing on two force platforms. Visual feedback was given of the forces and moments of the “focus limb,” but not the “unattended limb.” Static isometric forces were matched with their focus limb, requiring their unattended limb to push in the opposite direction, using a combination of forward-backward-medial-lateral shear forces while muscle activity was collected bilaterally. There was a significant main effect for limb task (p = 0.02), with the medial hamstrings being more specific (p = 0.001) while performing the unattended limb and the lateral hamstring being more well-tuned (p = 0.007) while performing the focus limb task. The focus limb's medial and lateral gastrocnemius were principally active in the forwards direction, but only the unattended limb's lateral gastrocnemius was active in the backwards direction. Findings suggest unique neuromuscular control strategies are used for the legs depending on limb task. PMID:23790392

Decorticate posture is an abnormal posturing in which a person is stiff with bent arms, clenched fists, and legs ... Decorticate posture is a sign of damage to the nerve pathway between the brain and spinal cord. Although it ...

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a common method for assessing body composition in research and clinical trials. BIA is convenient but when compared with other reference methods, the results have been inconclusive. The level of obesity degree in subjects is considered to be an important factor affecting the accuracy of the measurements. A total of 711 participants were recruited in Taiwan and were sub-grouped by gender and levels of adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the agreement of the measured body fat percentage (BF%) between BIA and DXA. The BF% measured by the DXA and BIA methods (Tanita BC-418) were expressed as BF%DXA and BF%BIA8, respectively. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in BF% measurements by gender and levels of adiposity. The estimated BF%BIA8 and BF%DXA in the all subjects, male and female groups were all highly correlated (r = 0.934, 0.901, 0.916, all P< 0.001). The average estimated BF%BIA8 (22.54 ± 9.48%) was significantly lower than the average BF%DXA (26.26 ± 11.18%). The BF%BIA8 was overestimated in the male subgroup (BF%DXA< 15%), compared to BF%DXA by 0.45%, respectively. In the other subgroups, the BF%BIA8 values were all underestimated. Standing BIA estimating body fat percentage in Chinese participants have a high correlation, but underestimated on normal and high obesity degree in both male and female subjects. PMID:27467065

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a common method for assessing body composition in research and clinical trials. BIA is convenient but when compared with other reference methods, the results have been inconclusive. The level of obesity degree in subjects is considered to be an important factor affecting the accuracy of the measurements. A total of 711 participants were recruited in Taiwan and were sub-grouped by gender and levels of adiposity. Regression analysis and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the agreement of the measured body fat percentage (BF%) between BIA and DXA. The BF% measured by the DXA and BIA methods (Tanita BC-418) were expressed as BF%DXA and BF%BIA8, respectively. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in BF% measurements by gender and levels of adiposity. The estimated BF%BIA8 and BF%DXA in the all subjects, male and female groups were all highly correlated (r = 0.934, 0.901, 0.916, all P< 0.001). The average estimated BF%BIA8 (22.54 ± 9.48%) was significantly lower than the average BF%DXA (26.26 ± 11.18%). The BF%BIA8 was overestimated in the male subgroup (BF%DXA< 15%), compared to BF%DXA by 0.45%, respectively. In the other subgroups, the BF%BIA8 values were all underestimated. Standing BIA estimating body fat percentage in Chinese participants have a high correlation, but underestimated on normal and high obesity degree in both male and female subjects. PMID:27467065

Sports such as rowing, gymnastics, cycling and fast bowling in cricket that combine rotation with spine flexion and extension are known to carry greater risk of low back pain (LBP). Few studies have investigated the capacity of the lumbar spine to rotate in various sagittal positions, and further, these studies have generated disparate conclusions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the range of lower lumbar axial rotation (L3-S2) is decreased in end-range flexion and extension postures when compared to the neutral spine posture. Eighteen adolescent female rowers (mean age=14.9 years) with no history of LBP were recruited for this study. Lower lumbar axial rotation was measured by an electromagnetic tracking system (3-Space Fastrak) in end-range flexion, extension and neutral postures, in sitting and standing positions. There was a reduction in the range of lower lumbar axial rotation in both end-range extension and flexion (p<0.001) postures when compared to neutral. Further, the range of lower lumbar axial rotation measurements in flexion when sitting was reduced when compared to standing (p=0.013). These findings are likely due to the anatomical limitations of the passive structures in end-range sagittal postures. PMID:17395521

Postural balance is defined as the ability to stand unassisted without falling. Examination of the patient's postural balance function is a difficult diagnostic task. Most of the balance tests used in medicine provide incomplete information on this coordination ability of the human body. The aim of this study was to review methods of assessment of the patient's postural balance function, including various tests used in medical diagnostics centers. PMID:20698188

The aim of this study was to examine the coupling between visual information and body sway and the adaptation in this coupling of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Fifteen children with and 15 without CP, 6-15 years old, were required to stand upright inside of a moving room. All children first performed two trials with no movement of the room…

This study aimed to characterize the effect of obesity on foot-type and plantar pressure distribution in adolescents. Ten obese adolescents (obese group; BMI: 35.45±4.73 kg/m) and eight normal-weighted adolescents (control group; BMI: 18.67±2.46 kg/m) were recruited. Both groups were evaluated while standing using the Pedar-X in-shoe system. Foot-ground contact was characterized using contact area, peak of force and pressure calculated for the subareas of the foot. The analysis showed that obese participants had significantly higher area of contact in forefoot and midfoot (only in medial area) regions in comparison with the control group, whereas no statistically significant differences were observed for the rearfoot region. As far as the maximum pressure and force was concerned, similar results were obtained for both groups. Obese participants showed higher values for all the regions, with the exception of medial rearfoot area, for which the values were similar between the two groups. The analysis of foot-type distribution displayed that in the obese group high percentage of participants presented flat foot (70%) respect to cavus foot (20%) and normal foot (10%); on the contrary, in the control group, foot-types were markedly different, with 25% of participants with flat foot, 25% with cavus foot and 50% with normal foot. These results are important from a clinical perspective to develop and enhance the rehabilitative options in these patients and to avoid a worsening of their foot abnormalities. Untreated flat foot can in fact be disabling and over time can result in significant difficulties for the patient. PMID:26632774

There is a number of research work in the literature that have applied sEMG biofeedback as an instrument for muscle rehabilitation. Therefore, sEMG is a good tool for this research work and is used to record the myoelectric activity in the paraspinal muscles of those with AIS during habitual standing and sitting. After the sEMG evaluation, the root-mean-square (RMS) sEMG values of the paraspinal muscles in the habitual postures reflect the spinal curvature situation of the PUMC Type Ia and IIc subjects. Both groups have a stronger average RMS sEMG value on the convex side of the affected muscle regions. Correction to posture as instructed by the physiotherapist has helped the subjects to achieve a more balanced RMS sEMG ratio in the trapezius and latissimus dorsi regions; the erector spinae in the thoracic region and/or erector spinae in the lumbar region. It is, therefore, considered that with regular practice of the suggested positions, those with AIS can use motor learning to achieve a more balanced posture. Consequently, the findings can be used in less intrusive early orthotic intervention and provision of care to those with AIS. PMID:26583151

There is a number of research work in the literature that have applied sEMG biofeedback as an instrument for muscle rehabilitation. Therefore, sEMG is a good tool for this research work and is used to record the myoelectric activity in the paraspinal muscles of those with AIS during habitual standing and sitting. After the sEMG evaluation, the root-mean-square (RMS) sEMG values of the paraspinal muscles in the habitual postures reflect the spinal curvature situation of the PUMC Type Ia and IIc subjects. Both groups have a stronger average RMS sEMG value on the convex side of the affected muscle regions. Correction to posture as instructed by the physiotherapist has helped the subjects to achieve a more balanced RMS sEMG ratio in the trapezius and latissimus dorsi regions; the erector spinae in the thoracic region and/or erector spinae in the lumbar region. It is, therefore, considered that with regular practice of the suggested positions, those with AIS can use motor learning to achieve a more balanced posture. Consequently, the findings can be used in less intrusive early orthotic intervention and provision of care to those with AIS. PMID:26583151

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have been characterized by greater postural sway in quiet stance and insufficient motor ability. However, there is a lack of studies to explore the properties of dynamic postural sway, especially under conditions of task-oriented movement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between…

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical function and postural sway during local vibratory stimulation of middle-aged subjects in an upright position. [Subjects] The subjects were 25 healthy community-dwelling middle-aged people. [Methods] We measured postural sway using a Wii board while vibratory stimulations of 30, 60, or 240 Hz were applied to the subjects’ lumbar multifidus or gastrocnemius muscles. Physical function was evaluated by 5-m usual gait speed and grip strength. [Results] Gait speed was strongly correlated to the anteroposterior body sway in the upright position during 30 Hz gastrocnemius muscles vibration (GMV). [Conclusion] Postural sway during 30 Hz GMV was strongly associated with gait speed and showed a posterior displacement. These findings show that the lower leg’s response to balance control under 30 Hz proprioceptive stimulation might be a good indicator of declining gait function. PMID:25364130

In the author's opinion as a pediatric physical therapist, with the exception of a wheelchair, there is no other piece of assistive technology that is more beneficial to children and adults with special needs than a standing device. Postural symmetry during standing and walking activities is extremely important for everyone. Very few children…

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) exhibits sensorimotor symptoms. In familial cases, a gene at chromosomal location 9p-24-22 is linked to RLS and the expressed mutation is Dopamine Receptor Specific Individual Sensitivity (DRSIS). The symptoms are triggered during changes in alertness, generally at sleep hours, resulting from insufficient dopamine transmission. The conscious experience of sensory abnormalities are described as 'an urge to move the limbs with or without paresthesias' leading to motor signs such as periodic limb movements and motor restlessness which exhibit temporary loss of extensor motor system dominance over the flexor motor system of the upright posture. The relationship of the expressed mutation to EEG alpha activity makes RLS a sleep disorder as well as a cognitive dysfunction. The recurrent character of sensorimotor symptoms impede the patient's ability to sleep, wake and force to move leading to insomnia. In Uner Tan Syndrome, the nonsense mutation in the same gene leads to underdevelopment of the neural substrates of upright posture. The defects include dopamine receptor deficiency (DRD) leading to severe cognitive dysfunctions and motor disorders-complete loss of extensor motor system dominance over the flexor motor system-quadrupedality, primitive speech, cerebellar symptoms, and strabismus. Comparisons between the neural substrates of sensorimotor symptoms seen in RLS and MRI findings for cases of Uner Tan Syndrome show cortico-cerebellar hypoplasias in the neural networks involved in upright posture. Both RLS and Uner Tan Syndrome seem to be due to different mutations in the dopamine receptor gene at 9p-24 locus, affecting the diencephalon dopaminergic system and the neural networks involved in upright posture. PMID:19394150

This study examined how changes in threat influenced conscious perceptions of postural sway. Young healthy adults stood on a forceplate mounted to a hydraulic lift placed at two heights (0.8m and 3.2m). At each height, subjects stood quietly with eyes open and eyes closed for 60s. Subjects were instructed to either stand normal, or stand normal and track their perceived sway in the antero-posterior plane by rotating a hand-held potentiometer. Participants reported an increased level of fear, anxiety, arousal and a decreased level of balance confidence when standing at height. In addition, postural sway amplitude decreased and frequency increased at height. However, there were no effects of height on perceived sway. When standing under conditions of increased postural threat, sway amplitude is reduced, while sway perception appears to remain unchanged. Therefore, when threat is increased, sensory gain may be increased to compensate for postural strategies that reduce sway (i.e. stiffening strategy), thereby ensuring sufficient afferent information is available to maintain, or even increase the conscious perception of postural sway. PMID:27016388

Using computer stabilography, vertical posture has been studied in 3 groups of children and adolescences with traumatic lesion of the spinal cord after surgery of congenital myelocele (n=10) and myelodysplasia (n=10) and in 124 healthy controls. Also, an extent of segmental lesions was investigated by electroneuromyography of lower extremities muscles. Patients with pronounced segmental lesion had small-amplitude, -velocity and -frequency variations of body center of gravity (BCG) during standing with visual control. After excluding visual control of vertical posture, there was a significant decrease of vertical stability that suggests a relevant role of visual analyzer in the control of vertical posture. In patients with minor segmental lesion, BCG variations of small amplitude, velocity and frequency were observed. Exclusion of visual control did not result in significant reduction of vertical stability. It is concluded that stabilographic survey is an objective method for diagnosis of an extent of segmental lesion of the spinal cord. PMID:15875937

[Purpose] To quantify the influence of visual and under-foot-surface conditions on standing balance in patients with post stroke hemiplegia and examine associations of this ordinal score with somatosensory disturbance and walking ability. [Subjects] Sixty-six patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. [Methods] Standing balance was tested in 4 conditions (firm floor or foam rubber surface with eyes open or eyes closed) for 30 s per condition and scored using a 5-category ordinal scale. The accuracy of the standing balance score to distinguish patients above/below cut-offs for the timed up-and-go test (14 s) and functional ambulation category (4) was determined. [Results] Standing balance score was correlated with sensory impairments (tactile and vibration perception) and walking ability (up-and-go and functional ambulation category). The standing balance score distinguished patients with up-and-go times ≤14 and >14 s with moderate sensitivity and specificity, and distinguished patients with functional ambulation category <4 and ≥4 with high sensitivity and specificity. [Conclusion] Patients with post-stroke hemiplegia may be unable to adapt to changing visual or surface conditions. Therapists should perform comprehensive balance tests. The standing balance ordinal scale score was moderately correlate with walking ability, distinguishing patients according to walking ability. This scale's validity and reliability must be assessed in clinical settings. PMID:26157211

... Brain problem due to drugs, poisoning, or infection Head injury Brain problem due to liver failure Increased pressure ... of posture? Is there any history of a head injury or other condition? What other symptoms came before ...

The effects of increasing postural task difficulty on balance control was investigated in 9 compensated vestibular loss patients whose results were compared to 11 healthy adults. Subjects were tested in static (stable support) and dynamic (sinusoidal translation of the support) conditions, both at floor level and at height (62 cm above the floor), and with and without vision, to create an additional postural threat. Wavelet analysis of the center of foot pressure displacement and motion analysis of the body segments were used to evaluate the postural performance. Evaluation questionnaires were used to examine the compensation level of the patients (DHI test), their general anxiety level (SAST), fear of height (subjective scale), and workload (NASA TLX test). (Vestibular loss patients rely more on vision and spend more energy maintaining balance than controls, but they use the same postural strategy as normals in both static and dynamic conditions.) Questionnaire data all showed differences in behavior and perceptions between the controls and the patients. However, at height and without vision, a whole body strategy leading to rigid posture replaces the head stabilization strategy found for standing at floor level. The effects of height on postural control can be attributable to an increase in postural threat and attention changes resulting from modifications in perception. PMID:23000612

Sociometric nominations, social cognitive maps, and self-report questionnaires were completed in consecutive years by 327 students (56% girls) followed longitudinally from grade 7 to grade 8 to examine the stability of social standing in peer groups and correlates of changes in social standing. Social preference, perceived popularity, network…

Non-vestibular influences as shift in blood volume changed perception of body posture. Then, factors affecting blood shift may alter postural control. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of leg venous contention on postural stability. Twelve subjects were studied on a balance plate for 5 minutes with the eyes closed, in 3 conditions: with no leg venous contention or grade 1 and 3 support stockings. Standard deviation of x and y position was calculated before and after the closure of the eyes. Strong venous contention altered postural stability, after the eyes were closed, during the first 10 s of standing. As support stockings prevent blood shift induced by upright posture, this result is in line with the hypothesis that blood shifts influence the perception of body orientation and postural control among others factors as vision, vestibular inputs... This strong venous contention could induce an increase of fall.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the integration of bimanual rhythmic movements and posture in expert marching percussionists. Participants (N=11) performed three rhythmic manual tasks [1:1, 2:3, and 2:3-F (2:3 rhythm played faster at a self-selected tempo)] in one of three postures: sitting, standing on one foot, and standing on two feet. Discrete relative phase, postural time-to-contact, and coherence analysis were used to analyze the performance of the manual task, postural control, and the integration between postural and manual performance. Across all three rhythms, discrete relative phase mean and variability results showed no effects of posture on rhythmic performance. The complexity of the manual task (1:1 vs. 2:3) had no effect on postural time-to-contact. However, increasing the tempo of the manual task (2:3 vs. 2:3-F) did result in a decreased postural time-to-contact in the two-footed posture. Coherence analysis revealed that the coupling between the postural and manual task significantly decreased as a function of postural difficulty (going from a two-footed to a one-footed posture) and rhythmic complexity (1:1 vs. 2:3). Taken together, these results demonstrate that expert marching percussionists systematically decouple postural and manual fluctuations in order to preserve the performance of the rhythmic movement task. PMID:26803676

Parenting interventions were an important feature of New Labour's policies to combat social exclusion. This paper critically examines parenting programmes for families with adolescents, assessing national and local policy aims against the perspectives of women who took part in a parenting course, which was the subject of a local evaluation. The…

Postural sway during quite stance is usually assumed to be a stationary stochastic process. We tested this assumption by investigating the time invariance of the average value and variance of the postural sway of three subjects. The sway was measured with a force plate under three conditions: subject standing on two feet with eyes open; subject standing on two feet with eyes closed; and subject standing on one foot with eyes open. Data were collected in 1 min runs. More than 50 min of data were collected for each subject under each test condition. The data were averaged across all runs for each subject and condition. Trends were found to be present in the data. In addition, there were initial transient increases in the second-order moments about the trends. The transient changes in first- and second-order moments usually disappeared during the first 20 s. In light of these findings, we can reject the hypothesis that postural sway is a stationary process. The results imply that the usual methods to parameterize postural sway have to be either changed or reinterpreted. PMID:8478345

Bariatric surgery for children and adolescents with morbid obesity has not gained broad acceptance in Germany yet.Nevertheless, these children often fail to reduce weight despite intensive weight loss programmes and suffer from an associate metabolic syndrome, just like adults. Thus, bariatric surgery may be a favourable option. The present article compares national and international experiences concerning guidelines, surgical procedures, and results. It becomes obvious that Germany has neither specific guidelines for children and adolescents nor a central registry. Internationally,the recommendation from the Bariatric Scientific Collaborative Group (BSCG) should be taken as the standard. As in adults, most surgeons perform Roux-Y gastric bypass or gastric banding. Additionally, sleeve gastrectomy is gaining some popularity. These procedures are performed in designated pediatric centres especially in the US. Their success and complication rates are similar to those found in adults.The overall long-term consequences, however, remain unclear.Thus, for bariatric surgery in children and adolescents it may be concluded that a) these patients should be treated in designated centres that offer the full range of therapeutic options,b) specific guidelines should be established, especially in Germany, and c) a long-term postoperative study of all patients is necessary to collect all data and refine the techniques used. PMID:20124776

A precane device, called the "free-standing cane," was developed to help children with blindness along with other disabilities. The cane detects obstacles; guides the user's hands into a relaxed, static position in front of the hips; facilitates postural security and control; and offers tactile and kinesthetic feedback. (JDD)

Most studies of postural hypotension (PH) have focused on standing PH. Less is known about PH after transition from a supine to sitting position. Moreover, seated PH has not been previously reviewed in the English literature. The aim of this review was to provide current information regarding seating-induced PH. Seventeen studies were reviewed regarding prevalence, methods of evaluation, manifestations, predisposing factors, prognosis, and management of seated PH. Prevalence ranged from 8% among community-dwelling persons to 56% in elderly hospitalized patients. Dizziness and palpitations were the most frequent symptoms. Of a variety of factors that have been identified as predisposing and contributing to seated PH, aging, bed rest, and hypertension were most important. Because seated PH is a common, easily diagnosable and frequently symptomatic condition, especially in elderly inpatients, this disorder warrants attention. Moreover, seating-induced falls in blood pressure and the associated symptoms, may be largely prevented by nonpharmacologic interventions. PMID:26515671

In this study, we explored relations between indices of postural sway and perceived comfort during pointing postures performed by standing participants. The participants stood on a force plate, grasped a pointer with the dominant (right) hand, and pointed to targets located at four positions and at two distances from the body. We quantified postural sway over 60-s intervals at each pointing posture, and found no effects of target location or distance on postural sway indices. In contrast, comfort ratings correlated significantly with indices of one of the sway components, trembling. Our observations support the hypothesis that rambling and trembling sway components involve different neurophysiological mechanisms. They also suggest that subjective perception of comfort may be more important than the actual posture for postural sway. PMID:24686189

A method for determining postural stability of a person can include acquiring a plurality of pressure data points over a period of time from at least one pressure sensor. The method can also include the step of identifying a postural state for each pressure data point to generate a plurality of postural states. The method can include the step of determining a postural state of the person at a point in time based on at least the plurality of postural states.

The dynamic responses of the human body in a standing position and in a sitting position have been compared. The apparent mass and transmissibilities to the head, six locations along the spine, and the pelvis were measured with eight male subjects exposed to vertical whole-body vibration. In both postures, the principal resonance in the apparent mass occurred in the range 5-6 Hz, with slightly higher frequencies and lower apparent mass in the standingposture. There was greater transmission of vertical vibration to the pelvis and the lower spine and greater relative motion within the lower spine in the standingposture than in the sitting posture at the principal resonance and at higher frequencies. Transmissibilities from the supporting surface (floor or seat) to the thoracic region had similar magnitudes for both standing and sitting subjects. The lumbar spine has less lordosis and may be more compressed and less flexible in the sitting posture than in the standingposture. This may have reduced the relative motions between lumbar vertebrae and both the supporting vibrating surface and the other vertebrae in the sitting posture. The characteristics of the vibration transmitted to the pelvis may have differed in the two postures due to different transmission paths. Increased forward rotation of the pelvis in the standingposture may have caused the differences in responses of the pelvis and the lower spine that were observed between the two postures.

Most patients who present to a cardiologist with syncope will have vasovagal (reflex) syncope. A busy syncope practice will often also see patients with postural tachycardia syndrome, often presenting with severe recurrent presyncope. Recognition of this “syncope confounder” might be difficult without adequate knowledge of their presentation, and this can adversely affect optimal management. Patients with postural tachycardia syndrome exhibit an excessive increase in heart rate ≥ 30 bpm within 10 minutes of standing (in the absence of orthostatic hypotension), in addition to chronic symptoms of orthostatic intolerance. Postural tachycardia syndrome can often be differentiated from vasovagal syncope by its hemodynamic pattern during tilt table test and differing clinical characteristics. This article will briefly review the presentation of postural tachycardia syndrome, its putative pathophysiology and an approach to non-pharmacological and pharmacological management. PMID:23217691

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge of the spine and posture among adolescent female students and to determine if they had access to postural education in or outside school. [Subjects and Methods] This was an epidemiological survey of a representative sample of 495 female students aged 14 to 18 years attending a regular secondary school in São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. Data were collected through a questionnaire. [Results] The results showed that 16.8% of teens did not know what a spine was, 8.3% had no knowledge of posture, and 61% reported receiving no posture education. Posture awareness was associated only with posture while using a computer, while having postural education class was not associated with any postural behavior. [Conclusion] The results showed that, although most students are familiar with the spine and posture, a sizable group is not, and over half had no postural education. These findings suggest that inclusion of postural education programs in schools should be encouraged in order to promote health and prevent diseases related to the spine. PMID:26504322

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge of the spine and posture among adolescent female students and to determine if they had access to postural education in or outside school. [Subjects and Methods] This was an epidemiological survey of a representative sample of 495 female students aged 14 to 18 years attending a regular secondary school in São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. Data were collected through a questionnaire. [Results] The results showed that 16.8% of teens did not know what a spine was, 8.3% had no knowledge of posture, and 61% reported receiving no posture education. Posture awareness was associated only with posture while using a computer, while having postural education class was not associated with any postural behavior. [Conclusion] The results showed that, although most students are familiar with the spine and posture, a sizable group is not, and over half had no postural education. These findings suggest that inclusion of postural education programs in schools should be encouraged in order to promote health and prevent diseases related to the spine. PMID:26504322

Birds utilize one of two hindlimb postures during flight: an extended posture (with the hip and knee joints flexed, while the ankle joint is extended caudally) or a flexed posture (with the hip, knee, and ankle joints flexed beneath the body). American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) extend their legs caudally during flight and support them for extended periods. Slow tonic and slow twitch muscle fibers are typically found in muscles functioning in postural support due to the fatigue resistance of these fibers. We hypothesized that a set of small muscles composed of high percentages of slow fibers and thus dedicated to postural support would function in securing the legs in the extended posture during flight. This study examined the anatomy and histochemical profile of eleven hindlimb muscles to gain insight into their functional roles during flight. Contrary to our hypothesis, all muscles possessed both fast twitch and slow twitch or slow tonic fibers. We believe this finding is due to the versatility of dynamic and postural functions the leg muscles must facilitate, including standing, walking, running, swimming, and hindlimb support during flight. Whether birds use an extended or flexed hindlimb flight posture may be related to the aerodynamic effect of leg position or may reflect evolutionary history. PMID:18506762

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of disease severity and medication state on postural control asymmetry during challenging tasks in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Nineteen people with PD and 11 neurologically healthy individuals performed three standing task conditions: bipedal standing, tandem and unipedal adapted standing; the individuals with PD performed the tasks in ON and OFF medication state. The participants with PD were distributed into 2 groups according to disease severity: unilateral group (n=8) and bilateral group (n=11). The two PD groups performed the evaluations both under and without the medication. Two force plates were used to analyze the posture. The symmetric index was calculated for various of center of pressure. ANOVA one-way (groups) and two-way (PD groups×medication), with repeated measures for medication, were calculated. For main effects of group, the bilateral group was more asymmetric than CG. For main effects of medication, only unipedal adapted standing presented effects of PD medication. There was PD groups×medication interaction. Under the effects of medication, the unilateral group presented lower asymmetry of RMS in anterior-posterior direction and area than the bilateral group in unipedal adapted standing. In addition, the unilateral group presented lower asymmetry of mean velocity, RMS in anterior-posterior direction and area in unipedal standing and area in tandem adapted standing after a medication dose. Postural control asymmetry during challenging postural tasks was dependent on disease severity and medication state in people with PD. The bilateral group presented higher postural control asymmetry than the control and unilateral groups in challenging postural tasks. Finally, the medication dose was able to reduce postural control asymmetry in the unilateral group during challenging postural tasks. PMID:26741255

Erect posture in man is a recent affordance from an evolutionary perspective. About eight million years ago, the stock from which modern humans derived split off from the ape family, and from around sixty-thousand years ago, modern man developed. Upright gait and manipulations while standing pose intricate cybernetic problems for postural control. The trunk, having an older evolutionary history than the extremities, is innervated by medially descending motor systems and extremity muscles by the more recent, laterally descending systems. Movements obviously require concerted actions from both systems. Research in rats has demonstrated the interdependencies between postural control and the development of fluent walking. Only 15 days after birth, adult-like fluent locomotion emerges and is critically dependent upon postural development. Vesttibular deprivation induces a retardation in postural development and, consequently, a retarded development of adult-like locomotion. The cerebellum obviously has an important role in mutual adjustments in postural control and extremity movements, or, in coupling the phylogenetic older and newer structures. In the human, the cerebellum develops partly after birth and therefore is vulnerable to adverse perinatal influences. Such vulnerability seems to justify focusing our scientific research efforts onto the development of this structure. PMID:16097476

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous group of conditions characterised by autonomic dysfunction and an exaggerated sympathetic response to assuming an upright position. Up till recently, it was largely under-recognised as a clinical entity. There is now consensus about the definition of POTS as a greater than 30/min heart rate increase on standing from a supine position (greater than 40/min increase in 12–19-year-old patients) or an absolute heart rate of greater than 120/min within 10 min of standing from a supine position and in the absence of hypotension, arrhythmias, sympathomimetic drugs or other conditions that cause tachycardia. We present two cases of POTS, followed by a discussion of its pathogenesis, pathophysiology, epidemiology and management. PMID:24042210

Background This study investigated the effects of obesity on attentional resources allocated to postural control in seating and unipedal standing. Methods Ten non obese adults (BMI = 22.4±1.3, age = 42.4±15.1) and 10 obese adult patients (BMI = 35.2±2.8, age = 46.2±19.6) maintained postural stability on a force platform in two postural tasks (seated and unipedal). The two postural tasks were performed (1) alone and (2) in a dual-task paradigm in combination with an auditory reaction time task (RT). Performing the RT task together with the postural one was supposed to require some attentional resources that allowed estimating the attentional cost of postural control. 4 trials were performed in each condition for a total of 16 trials. Findings (1) Whereas seated non obese and obese patients exhibited similar centre of foot pressure oscillations (CoP), in the unipedal stance only obese patients strongly increased their CoP sway in comparison to controls. (2) Whatever the postural task, the additional RT task did not affect postural stability. (3) Seated, RT did not differ between the two groups. (4) RT strongly increased between the two postural conditions in the obese patients only, suggesting that body schema and the use of internal models was altered with obesity. Interpretation Obese patients needed more attentional resources to control postural stability during unipedal stance than non obese participants. This was not the case in a more simple posture such as seating. To reduce the risk of fall as indicated by the critical values of CoP displacement, obese patients must dedicate a strong large part of their attentional resources to postural control, to the detriment of non-postural events. Obese patients were not able to easily perform multitasking as healthy adults do, reflecting weakened psycho-motor abilities. PMID:21187914

Performance of school children in regard to their standing and reach postures are described with dimensions given on the limits of their performance only. The facts of task performances are presented for the following tasks--(1) seeing into a shelf, (2) reaching into a shelf, (3) drawing on a vertical surface, (4) sitting or standing while…

Here we report the resting metabolic rate in barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and provide evidence for the significant energetic effect of posture. Under laboratory conditions flow-through respirometry together with synchronous recording of behaviour enabled a calculation of how metabolic rate varies with posture. Our principal finding is that standing bipedally incurs a 25% increase in metabolic rate compared to birds sitting on the ground. In addition to the expected decrease in energy consumption of hindlimb postural muscles when sitting, we hypothesise that a change in breathing mechanics represents one potential mechanism for at least part of the observed difference in energetic cost. Due to the significant effect of posture, future studies of resting metabolic rates need to take into account and/or report differences in posture. PMID:23071672

This paper introduces a human posture tracking platform to identify the human postures of sitting, standing or lying down, based on a smartwatch. This work develops such a system as a proof-of-concept study to investigate a smartwatch’s ability to be used in future remote health monitoring systems and applications. This work validates the smartwatches’ ability to track the posture of users accurately in a laboratory setting while reducing the sampling rate to potentially improve battery life, the first steps in verifying that such a system would work in future clinical settings. The algorithm developed classifies the transitions between three posture states of sitting, standing and lying down, by identifying these transition movements, as well as other movements that might be mistaken for these transitions. The system is trained and developed on a Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, and the algorithm was validated through a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation of 20 subjects. The system can identify the appropriate transitions at only 10 Hz with an F-score of 0.930, indicating its ability to effectively replace smart phones, if needed. PMID:26506354

This paper introduces a human posture tracking platform to identify the human postures of sitting, standing or lying down, based on a smartwatch. This work develops such a system as a proof-of-concept study to investigate a smartwatch's ability to be used in future remote health monitoring systems and applications. This work validates the smartwatches' ability to track the posture of users accurately in a laboratory setting while reducing the sampling rate to potentially improve battery life, the first steps in verifying that such a system would work in future clinical settings. The algorithm developed classifies the transitions between three posture states of sitting, standing and lying down, by identifying these transition movements, as well as other movements that might be mistaken for these transitions. The system is trained and developed on a Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, and the algorithm was validated through a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation of 20 subjects. The system can identify the appropriate transitions at only 10 Hz with an F-score of 0.930, indicating its ability to effectively replace smart phones, if needed. PMID:26506354

Perinatal HIV infection in the US continues to evolve from a fatal pediatric illness to a chronic medical condition of childhood and adolescence. Although navigating this period is influenced by multi-leveled deprivations commonly experienced by low-income minority families, HIV alters the timing and experience of developmental milestones for many…

Purpose Adolescents with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) often experience ill-defined cognitive impairment referred to by patients as “brain fog.” The objective of this study was to evaluate the symptom of brain fog as a means of gaining further insight into its etiology and potential palliative interventions. Methods Eligible subjects who reported having been diagnosed with POTS were recruited from social media web sites. Subjects were asked to complete a 38-item questionnaire designed for this study, and the Wood mental fatigue inventory (WMFI). Results Responses were received from 138 subjects with POTS (88 % female), ranging in age from 14 to 29 years; 132 subjects reported brain fog. WMFI scores correlated with brain fog frequency and severity (P < 0.001). The top ranked descriptors of brain fog were “forgetful,” “cloudy,” and “difficulty focusing, thinking and communicating.” The most frequently reported brain fog triggers were fatigue (91 %), lack of sleep (90 %), prolonged standing (87 %), dehydration (86 %), and feeling faint (85 %). Although aggravated by upright posture, brain fog was reported to persist after assuming a recumbent posture. The most frequently reported interventions for the treatment of brain fog were intravenous saline (77 %), stimulant medications (67 %), salt tablets (54 %), intra-muscular vitamin B-12 injections (48 %), and midodrine (45 %). Conclusions Descriptors for “brain fog” are most consistent with it being a cognitive complaint. Factors other than upright posture may play a role in the persistence of this symptom. Subjects reported a number of therapeutic interventions for brain fog not typically used in the treatment of POTS that may warrant further investigation. PMID:23999934

BACKGROUND: The postural tachycardia syndrome is a common disorder that is characterized by chronic orthostatic symptoms and a dramatic increase in heart rate on standing, but that does not involve orthostatic hypotension. Several lines of evidence indicate that this disorder may result from sympathetic denervation of the legs. METHODS: We measured norepinephrine spillover (the rate of entry of norepinephrine into the venous circulation) in the arms and legs both before and in response to exposure to three stimuli (the cold pressor test, sodium nitroprusside infusion, and tyramine infusion) in 10 patients with the postural tachycardia syndrome and in 8 age- and sex-matched normal subjects. RESULTS: At base line, the mean (+/-SD) plasma norepinephrine concentration in the femoral vein was lower in the patients with the postural tachycardia syndrome than in the normal subjects (135+/-30 vs. 215+/-55 pg per milliliter [0.80+/-0.18 vs. 1.27+/-0.32 nmol per liter], P=0.001). Norepinephrine spillover in the arms increased to a similar extent in the two groups in response to each of the three stimuli, but the increases in the legs were smaller in the patients with the postural tachycardia syndrome than in the normal subjects (0.001+/-0.09 vs. 0.12+/-0.12 ng per minute per deciliter of tissue [0.006+/-0.53 vs. 0.71+/-0.71 nmol per minute per deciliter] with the cold pressor test, P=0.02; 0.02+/-0.07 vs. 0.23+/-0.17 ng per minute per deciliter [0.12+/-0.41 vs. 1.36+/-1.00 nmol per minute per deciliter] with nitroprusside infusion, P=0.01; and 0.008+/-0.09 vs. 0.19+/-0.25 ng per minute per deciliter [0.05+/-0.53 vs. 1.12+/-1.47 nmol per minute per deciliter] with tyramine infusion, P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome results from partial sympathetic denervation, especially in the legs.

High-resolution anatomically realistic whole-body voxel models have recently been developed for electromagnetic dosimetry. However, the posture of most models is similar to the standing one, which strongly limits electromagnetic dosimetry when simulating a realistic exposure scenario. In this paper, we present the development of postured models based on anatomically realistic voxel models with standingposture. Voxel models of the Japanese adult male and female were used as the original upright standing models. The Japanese models were composed of 2 mm cubic voxels, each of which was segmented into 51 different tissue types. We developed several different types of posture models using a novel posture transformation method. These posture models were smoothly transformed, while the continuity of the internal tissues and organs was maintained. In this paper, we also present our calculations of the whole-body averaged specific absorption rates (SARs) of sitting male and female models exposed to electromagnetic plane waves at very high (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) bands.

The goal of the current study was to investigate whether a visual coupling between two people can produce spontaneous interpersonal postural coordination and change their intrapersonal postural coordination involved in the control of stance. We examined the front-to-back head displacements of participants and the angular motion of their hip and…

Hippurate function scintiscans were obtained in prone and standing positions in a group of 76 patients with concurrent hypertension and nephroptosis. Twelve of these patients had massive, bilateral disturbance of intrarenal hippurate transport in the standing position; hippurate transport was normal in the prone position. This pattern was present in only three of 120 normotensive patients with nephroptosis. To investigate the importance of nephroptosis, 87 other hypertensive patients were examined. Eighteen of these patients demonstrated posture-dependent tubular dysfunction, but only four had nephroptosis. The results suggest a direct relationship between bilateral posture-dependent tubular dysfunction and hypertension.

A 34-year-old female patient was admitted with the complaints of inability to stand upright, palpitations, dizziness, and fatigue in the upright posture for the last one year. She was found to stand upright for less than one minute without symptoms. Tilt table testing showed that, compared to baseline her heart rate increased 55 beats/min in the fifth minute of the test with the symptoms of palpitations, fatigue and sweating without any significant change in her blood pressure. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome was diagnosed, and pyridostigmine treatment was started. Four months after treatment her symptoms were relieved so that she was able to function as a nurse. PMID:25362946

In order to maintain stable upright stance, the postural control system must account for the continuous perturbations to the body's center-of-mass including those caused by spontaneous respiration. Both aging and disease increase "posturo-respiratory synchronization;" which reflects the degree to which respiration affects postural sway fluctuations over time. Tai Chi training emphasizes the coordination of respiration and bodily movements and may therefore optimize the functional interaction between these two systems. The purpose of the project was to examine the effect of Tai Chi training on the interaction between respiration and postural control in older adults. We hypothesized that Tai Chi training would improve the ability of the postural control system to compensate for respiratory perturbations and thus, reduce posturo-respiratory synchronization. Participants were recruited from supportive housing facilities and randomized to a 12-week Tai Chi intervention (n=28; 86 ± 5 yrs) or educational-control program (n=34, 85 ± 6 yrs). Standingpostural sway and respiration were simultaneously recorded with a force plate and respiratory belt under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Posturo-respiratory synchronization was determined by quantifying the variation of the phase relationship between the dominant oscillatory mode of respiration and corresponding oscillations within postural sway. Groups were similar in age, gender distribution, height, body mass, and intervention compliance. Neither intervention altered average sway speed, sway magnitude or respiratory rate. As compared to the education-control group, however, Tai Chi training reduced posturo-respiratory synchronization when standing with eyes open or closed (p<0.001). Tai Chi training did not affect traditional parameters of standingpostural control or respiration, yet reduced the coupling between respiration and postural control. The beneficial effects of Tai Chi training may therefore stem in part

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a relatively rare syndrome recognised since 1940. It is a heterogenous condition with orthostatic intolerance due to dysautonomia and is characterised by rise in heart rate above 30 bpm from base line or to more than 120 bpm within 5-10 min of standing with or without change in blood pressure which returns to base line on resuming supine position. This condition present with various disabling symptoms such as light headedness, near syncope, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, tremor, palpitations and mental clouding, etc. However there are no identifiable signs on clinical examination and patients are often diagnosed to have anxiety disorder. The condition predominantly affects young female between the ages of 15-50 but is rarely described in older people. We describe an older patient who developed POTS which recovered over 12 mo. Recognising this condition is important as there are treatment options available to alleviate the disabling symptoms. PMID:26244158

The initiation of human walking involves postural motor actions for body orientation and balance stabilization that must be effectively integrated with locomotion to allow safe and efficient transport. Our ability to coordinately adapt these functions to environmental or bodily changes through error-based motor learning is essential to effective performance. Predictive compensations for postural perturbations through anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) that stabilize mediolateral (ML) standing balance normally precede and accompany stepping. The temporal sequencing between these events may involve neural processes that suppress stepping until the expected stability conditions are achieved. If so, then an unexpected perturbation that disrupts the ML APAs should delay locomotion. This study investigated how the central nervous system (CNS) adapts posture and locomotion to perturbations of ML standing balance. Healthy human adults initiated locomotion while a resistance force was applied at the pelvis to perturb posture. In experiment 1, using random perturbations, step onset timing was delayed relative to the APA onset indicating that locomotion was withheld until expected stability conditions occurred. Furthermore, stepping parameters were adapted with the APAs indicating that motor prediction of the consequences of the postural changes likely modified the step motor command. In experiment 2, repetitive postural perturbations induced sustained locomotor aftereffects in some parameters (i.e., step height), immediate but rapidly readapted aftereffects in others, or had no aftereffects. These results indicated both rapid but transient reactive adaptations in the posture and gait assembly and more durable practice-dependent changes suggesting feedforward adaptation of locomotion in response to the prevailing postural conditions. PMID:25231611

Many occupations in industry such as metal stamping workers, electronics parts assembly operators, automotive industry welders, and lathe operators require working in a standingposture for a long time. Prolonged standing can contribute to discomfort and muscle fatigue particularly in the back and legs. This study developed the prolonged standing strain index (PSSI) to quantify the risk levels caused by standing jobs, and proposed recommendations to minimize the risk levels. Risk factors associated with standing jobs, such as working posture, muscles activity, standing duration, holding time, whole-body vibration, and indoor air quality, were the basis for developing the PSSI. All risk factors were assigned multipliers, and the PSSI was the product of those multipliers. Recommendations for improvement are based on the PSSI; however, extensive studies are required to validate their effectiveness. multipliers, and the PSSI was the product of those multipliers. Recommendations for improvement are based on the PSSI; however, extensive studies are required to validate their effectiveness. PMID:22429532

The present research examined how learning a new ankle-hip coordination influenced the preexisting postural repertoire. Standing participants learned a new ankle-hip coordination mode (relative phase of 90[degrees]). Before and after practice, postural patterns were evaluated in two different tasks. In the required task, specific ankle-hip…

The goal of this work is to analyze postural control in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) participants in time and frequency domain. This study considered a pathological group composed by 22 EDS participants performing a postural test consisting in maintaining standing position over a force platform for 30 s in two conditions: open eyes (OE) and closed…

Ballistocardiography is a non-invasive measurement of the mechanical movement of the body caused by cardiac ejection of blood. Recent studies have demonstrated that ballistocardiogram (BCG) signals can be measured using a modified home weighing scale, and used to track changes in myocardial contractility and cardiac output. With this approach, the BCG can potentially be used both for preventive screening and for chronic disease management applications. However, for achieving high signal quality, subjects are required to stand still on the scale in an upright position for the measurement; the effects of intentional (for user comfort) or unintentional (due to user error) modifications in the position or posture of the subject during the measurement have not been investigated in the existing literature. In this study, we quantified the effects of different standing and seated postures on the measured BCG signals, and on the most salient BCG-derived features compared to reference standard measurements (e.g., impedance cardiography). We determined that the standing upright posture led to the least distorted signals as hypothesized, and that the correlation between BCG-derived timing interval features (R-J interval) and the pre-ejection period, PEP (measured using ICG), decreased significantly with impaired posture or sitting position. We further implemented two novel approaches to improve the PEP estimates from other standing and sitting postures, using system identification and improved J-wave detection methods. These approaches can improve the usability of standing BCG measurements in unsupervised settings (i.e. the home), by improving the robustness to non-ideal posture, as well as enabling high quality seated BCG measurements. PMID:26058064

Context: Postural stability assessment is included as part of the diagnostic and monitoring process for sports-related concussions. Particularly, the relatively simple Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and more sophisticated force plate measures like the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) are suggested. Evidence Acquisition: Relevant studies were identified via the following electronic databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL (1980 to July 2013). Inclusion was based on the evaluation of postural sway or balance in concussed athletes of any age or sex and investigating the reliability or validity of the included tests. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 4 Results: Both the SOT and the BESS show moderate reliability, but a learning effect due to repetitive testing needs to be considered. Both tests indicate that postural stability returns to baseline by day 3 to 5 in most concussed athletes. While the BESS is a simple and valid method, it is sensitive to subjectivity in scoring and the learning effect. The SOT is very sensitive to even subtle changes in postural sway, and thus, more accurate than the BESS; however, it is a rather expensive method of balance testing. Conclusion: Both tests serve the purpose of monitoring balance performance in the concussed athlete; however, neither may serve as a stand-alone diagnostic or monitoring tool. Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy: B PMID:25177420

Timescales of postural fluctuation reflect underlying neuromuscular processes in balance control that are influenced by sensory information and the performance of concurrent cognitive and motor tasks. An open question is how postural fluctuations entrain to complex environmental rhythms, such as in music, which also vary on multiple timescales. Musical groove describes the property of music that encourages auditory-motor synchronization and is used to study voluntary motor entrainment to rhythmic sounds. The influence of groove on balance control mechanisms remains unexplored. We recorded fluctuations in center of pressure (CoP) of standing participants (N = 40) listening to low and high groove music and during quiet stance. We found an effect of musical groove on radial sway variability, with the least amount of variability in the high groove condition. In addition, we observed that groove influenced postural sway entrainment at various temporal scales. For example, with increasing levels of groove, we observed more entrainment to shorter, local timescale rhythmic musical occurrences. In contrast, we observed more entrainment to longer, global timescale features of the music, such as periodicity, with decreasing levels of groove. Finally, musical experience influenced the amount of postural variability and entrainment at local and global timescales. We conclude that groove in music and musical experience can influence the neural mechanisms that govern balance control, and discuss implications of our findings in terms of multiscale sensorimotor coupling. (PsycINFO Database Record PMID:26727019

For patients with neurological damage of the central nervous system, such as that due to cerebrovascular accident (CVA), standing balance training is a critical therapeutic procedure to be undertaken before walking and self-care training. The identification and characterization of neurological disorder in postural steadiness will enhance our understanding of the postural control system, and help to identify patients at risk of falls in the CVA population. This paper discusses the design and clinical evaluation of a new biofeedback training device for static (postural steadiness) performance of the standing balance system. The device includes a height adjustable standing table, an instrumented force sensing platform, an on-line weight bearing audio/visual biofeedback system, a postural correction mirror, and a belt suspension system for the upper extremities. A quantitative evaluation protocol of bilateral asymmetries in weight distribution and postural sway to characterize standing balance with the force sensing platform is discussed. Finally, the clinical evaluation results of sixty patients with hemiplegia from acute stroke for a period of four weeks are discussed. With this economic standing training device, the static standing steadiness can be trained effectively through weight bearing biofeedback and a postural correction mirror in the clinical and home caring environments. PMID:8836924

Ankle stiffness is a nonlinear, time-varying system which contributes to the control of human upright stance. This study sought to examine the nature of the contribution of stiffness to postural control by determining how intrinsic and reflex stiffnesses varied with sway. Subjects were instructed to stand quietly on a bilateral electro-hydraulic actuator while perturbations were applied about the ankle. Subjects performed three types of trials: normal stance, forward lean, and backward lean. Position, torque, and EMGs from the tibialis anterior and triceps surae were recorded. Background torque, intrinsic stiffness and reflex stiffness were calculated for each perturbation. Intrinsic and reflex stiffnesses were heavily modulated by postural sway. Moreover, they were modulated in a complimentary manner; intrinsic stiffness was lowest when reflex gain was highest, and vice versa. These findings suggest that intrinsic stiffness is modulated simultaneously with reflex stiffness to optimize the control of balance. PMID:25570884

Loss of balance and postural adaptation are discussed in the context of temporomandibular disorders. Two examples are given of how orthodontic treatment in adults can lead to a recovery of balance and postural improvement. In children, spontaneous postural improvement can occur following simple dental intervention. The results of examining this observation in a sample of 100 children are discussed. The findings indicate the need for an orthodontic assessment to include a standingpostural examination. Criteria for a larger investigation are outlined and techniques to assist in this are suggested. PMID:19263634

The goal of this work was to analyze postural control in Down syndrome (DS) participants considering three different groups composed by children, teenagers and adults with DS. An analysis of the centre of pressure (COP) displacement during standing position was therefore performed for the three groups of subjects. The obtained signal of COP was…

The purpose of this study is to derive quantitative assessment indicators of the human postural control ability. An inverted pendulum is applied to standing human body and is controlled by ankle joint torque according to PD control method in sagittal plane. Torque control parameters (KP: proportional gain, KD: derivative gain) and pole placements of postural control system are estimated with time from inclination angle variation using fixed trace method as recursive least square method. Eight young healthy volunteers are participated in the experiment, in which volunteers are asked to incline forward as far as and as fast as possible 10 times over 10 [s] stationary intervals with their neck joint, hip joint and knee joint fixed, and then return to initial upright posture. The inclination angle is measured by an optical motion capture system. Three conditions are introduced to simulate unstable standingposture; 1) eyes-opened posture for healthy condition, 2) eyes-closed posture for visual impaired and 3) one-legged posture for lower-extremity muscle weakness. The estimated parameters Kp, KD and pole placements are applied to multiple comparison test among all stability conditions. The test results indicate that Kp, KD and real pole reflect effect of lower-extremity muscle weakness and KD also represents effect of visual impairment. It is suggested that the proposed method is valid for quantitative assessment of standingpostural control ability.

The purpose of this study is to derive quantitative assessment indicators of the human postural control ability. An inverted pendulum is applied to standing human body and is controlled by ankle joint torque according to PD control method in sagittal plane. Torque control parameters (KP: proportional gain, KD: derivative gain) and pole placements of postural control system are estimated with time from inclination angle variation using fixed trace method as recursive least square method. Eight young healthy volunteers are participated in the experiment, in which volunteers are asked to incline forward as far as and as fast as possible 10 times over 10 [s] stationary intervals with their neck joint, hip joint and knee joint fixed, and then return to initial upright posture. The inclination angle is measured by an optical motion capture system. Three conditions are introduced to simulate unstable standingposture; 1) eyes-opened posture for healthy condition, 2) eyes-closed posture for visual impaired and 3) one-legged posture for lower-extremity muscle weakness. The estimated parameters Kp, KD and pole placements are applied to multiple comparison test among all stability conditions. The test results indicate that Kp, KD and real pole reflect effect of lower-extremity muscle weakness and KD also represents effect of visual impairment. It is suggested that the proposed method is valid for quantitative assessment of standingpostural control ability.

Aging is frequently associated with a decreased postural stability, essentially after 60 years, leading to an increased risk of falling. In this article we propose to highlight the influence of the aging of the neuromuscular system on postural stability when standing upright. To maintain balance while standing upright, human needs to control the activity of ankle muscles and particularly the plantar flexors. During the aging process, the performance of these muscles are strongly altered. It is commonly observed large deficits in elderly people with history of falls. Some authors reported an inverse correlation between the amplitude of postural sway and the capacity of force production of ankle muscles suggesting that the assessment of neuromuscular function could be an index of postural stability or even of the falling risk. Finally, enhance the strength of ankle muscles in elderly through physical exercise could be an adequate intervention to improve postural stability and reduce the incidence of falls. PMID:26707554

While alternating standing position on a sloped surface has proven successful at reducing low back pain during standing, the purpose of this study was to evaluate standing solely on a declining surface to isolate the influence of the postural change. Seventeen participants performed two 75-min prolonged standing occupational simulations- level ground and declining surface. Fifty-three percent of participants (9/17) were categorized as pain developers during the level ground standing condition. For these same pain developers, their average maximum pain scores were 58% lower during sloped standing. All participants showed greater hip flexion, trunk-to-thigh angle flexion, and posterior translation of the trunk center of gravity when standing on the sloped surface. These postural changes could cause the muscles crossing the hip posteriorly to increase passive stiffness and assist with stabilizing the pelvis. This study stresses the importance of hip kinematics, not just lumbar spine posture, in reducing prolonged standing induced low back pain. PMID:27184314

The postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a disease characterized by excessively increased heart rate during orthostatic challenge associated with symptoms of orthostatic intolerance including dizziness, exercise intolerance, headache, fatigue, memory problems, nausea, blurred vision, pallor, and sweating, which improve with recumbence. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome patients may present with a multitude of additional symptoms that are attributable to vascular vasoconstriction. Observed signs and symptoms in a patient with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome include tachycardia at rest, exaggerated heart rate increase with upright position and exercise, crushing chest pain, tremor, syncope, loss of vision, confusion, migraines, fatigue, heat intolerance, parasthesia, dysesthesia, allodynia, altered traditional senses, and thermoregulatory abnormalities. There are a number of possible dermatological manifestations of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome easily explained by its recently discovered pathophysiology. The author reports the case of a 22-year-old woman with moderate-to-severe postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome with numerous dermatological manifestations attributable to the disease process. The cutaneous manifestations observed in this patient are diverse and most noticeable during postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome flares. The most distinct are evanescent, hyperemic, sharply demarcated, irregular patches on the chest and neck area that resolve upon diascopy. This distinct “evanescent hyperemia” disappears spontaneously after seconds to minutes and reappears unexpectedly. Other observed dermatological manifestations of this systemic disease include Raynaud’s phenomenon, koilonychia, onychodystrophy, madarosis, dysesthesia, allodynia, telogen effluvium, increased capillary refill time, and livedo reticularis. The treatment of this disease poses a great challenge. The author reports the unprecedented use of an

The aim of the study was to validate interview data concerning the duration of four work postures (1) sitting, (2) standing/walking with hands above shoulder level, (3) standing/walking with hands between shoulder and knuckle level, and (4) standing/walking with hands below knuckle level. The self-reported time spent in each posture was tested in relation to observations and technical measurements in 20 subjects during two full working days. The linear relationships between self-reports and observations were strong for the three postures; sitting (r2 = 0.55), hands above shoulder level (r2 = 0.58) and hands below knuckle level (r2 = 0.69). Thus, using this interview technique, self-reports concerning time spent in (1) sitting, (2) standing/walking with hands above shoulder level and, (3) standing/walking with hands below knuckle level may be accurate enough for studying these work postures in epidemiological studies. PMID:10693827

Posture change from a lying position to a standing position results in a decrease in plasma volume, which leads to an increase in plasma constituents, especially that of proteins and blood constituents bound to them. The aim of the present study was to investigate the physiological effects of postural changes on plasma nocturnal melatonin concentrations in healthy human volunteers. The study was divided into four stages. During stage one, subjects were seated from 21.00 hr to 01.00 hr. In stage two, subjects were lying at ground level from 21.00 hr to 01.00 hr. In stage three, subjects were is a sitting position from 2100 hr to 2300 hr and then in a standing position from 23.00 hr to 24.00 hr, and back to the sitting position from 24.00 hr to 01.00 hr. In the final stage, subjects were in a lying position from 21.00 hr to 23.00 hr and then in a standing position from 23.00 hr to 24.00 hr and back to the lying position from 24.00 hr to 01.00 hr. AUC analysis showed significant differences between sitting and lying positions (t=2.84; P<0.05; df=5), with higher melatonin levels associated with the sitting position (mean difference in peak concentration of 17.1 pg/ml). Furthermore a change in posture from the lying to the standing position produced a statistically significant increase in melatonin concentrations (final stage) (t=-3.37; P<0.05; df=5) (mean difference in peak concentration of 28.5 pg/ml). No differences were found with a change in posture from a sitting to a standing position. The hemoconcentration and hemodilution associated with posture changes may play a role in altering plasma protein bound hormones such as melatonin. PMID:9572531

Objective: To determine if approximate entropy (ApEn), a regularity statistic from non-linear dynamics, could detect changes in postural control during quiet standing in athletes with normal postural stability after cerebral concussion. Methods: The study was a retrospective, case series analysis of centre of pressure (COP) data collected during the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) from NCAA Division I (USA) athletes prior to and within 48 h after injury. Subjects were 21 male and six female athletes from a variety of sports who sustained a cerebral concussion between 1997 and 2003. After injury, athletes displayed normal postural stability equivalent to preseason levels. For comparison, COP data also were collected from 15 male and 15 female healthy non-athletes on two occasions. ApEn values were calculated for COP anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) time series. Results: Compared to healthy subjects, COP oscillations among athletes generally became more regular (lower ApEn value) after injury despite the absence of postural instability. For AP time series, declines in ApEn values were much larger in SOT conditions 1 and 2 (approximately three times as large as the standard error of the mean) than for all other conditions. For ML time series, ApEn values declined after injury in all sensory conditions (F1,55 = 6.36, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Athletes who demonstrated normal postural stability after concussion nonetheless displayed subtle changes in postural control. Changes in ApEn may have represented a clinically abnormal finding. ApEn analysis of COP oscillations may be a valuable supplement to existing concussion assessment protocols for athletes. PMID:16244188

Session TP3 includes short reports on: (1) Modification of Goal-Directed Arm Movements During Inflight Adaptation to Microgravity; (2) Quantitative Analysis of Motion control in Long Term Microgravity; (3) Does the Centre of Gravity Remain the Stabilised Reference during Complex Human Postural Equilibrium Tasks in Weightlessness?; and (4) Arm End-Point Trajectories Under Normal and Microgravity Environments.

The choice of a reference posture is important when investigating rearfoot motion in clinical populations. The reference posture used may affect the magnitude of the peak angles and therefore may not enable comparison of the rearfoot kinematics across different populations. This study examined the relationship between the rearfoot frontal plane pattern of motion and three reference postures during the stance phase of walking in healthy and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) subjects. The three reference postures investigated were: Relaxed Standingposture, subtalar joint neutral position (STJN) and when the calcaneus and the lower leg were vertically aligned (Vertical Alignment). The rearfoot inversion/eversion during the stance phase was measured in 14 healthy subjects and 13 subjects with diagnosed PFPS using three dimensional motion analysis with the three different reference postures. The graphs of rearfoot inversion/eversion motion were overlaid with the angle at the rearfoot in the static posture and any intersection between the static angle and rearfoot motion was noted. An ANOVA showed significant differences in static posture between the groups for Relaxed Standing (p = 0.01), and STJN (p = 0.02). For both groups, with Relaxed Standing as a reference posture, the mean rearfoot pattern of motion did not intersect the Relaxed Standing static angle during the stance phase. The use of Vertical Alignment reference posture, however, showed an intersection of this reference posture through the rearfoot pattern of motion. The use of the Vertical Alignment reference posture also generated a typical rearfoot motion pattern for both groups and therefore it may be an appropriate reference posture for both healthy and PFPS individuals. Key PointsThe use of the three reference postures resulted in shifting of the curve of the rearfoot frontal plane pattern of motion. The shift of the curve is important in identifying the magnitude of rearfoot peak motion during the

Altered postural control and balance are major disabling issues of Parkinson's disease (PD). Static and dynamic posturography have provided insight into PD's postural deficits; however, little is known about impairments in postural coordination. We hypothesized that subjects with PD would show more ankle strategy during quiet stance than healthy control subjects, who would include some hip strategy, and this stiffer postural strategy would increase with disease progression. We quantified postural strategy and sway dispersion with inertial sensors (one placed on the shank and one on the posterior trunk at L5 level) while subjects were standing still with their eyes open. A total of 70 subjects with PD, including a mild group (H&Y≤2, N=33) and a more severe group (H&Y≥3, N=37), were assessed while OFF and while ON levodopa medication. We also included a healthy control group (N=21). Results showed an overall preference of ankle strategy in all groups while maintaining balance. Postural strategy was significantly lower ON compared to OFF medication (indicating more hip strategy), but no effect of disease stage was found. Instead, sway dispersion was significantly larger in ON compared to OFF medication, and significantly larger in the more severe PD group compared to the mild. In addition, increased hip strategy during stance was associated with poorer self-perception of balance. PMID:27131172

The lumbosacral region in man is exposed to special static and dynamic load. In a supine position, the disc size increases because of the absence of axial load. In a standing position, with physiological posture of the spine, strain discomfort occurs which is increased even more in the sitting position due to the curvature of the lumbar region of the spine and the irregular distribution of pressure in the discs as a result of this. This special problem of sitting posture can be confirmed by examinations.

Mariners actively adjust their body orientation in response to ship motion. On a ship at sea, we evaluated relations between standingpostural activity and the performance of a precision aiming task. Standing participants (experienced mariners) maintained the beam from a handheld laser on a target. Targets were large or small, thereby varying the…

The characteristics of flexor reflexes have been investigated in the previous studies with human subjects who were seated or supine position. However, researchers did not describe how the spinal circuits are used in different hip angles for paralyzed subjects, such as the standing position with walker or cane. In upright posture the compatibility between a flexor reflex of leg and body balance is a special problem for lower limb injured subjects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hip angle change on the flexor reflex evoked in standing paralyzed subjects supported by walker. In this study, six spinal cord injured and four stroke subjects were recruited through the inpatient physical therapy clinics of Korea national rehabilitation hospital. A single axis electronic goniometer was mounted on the lateral side of the hip joint of the impaired limb to record movements in the sagittal plane at this joint. The electronic goniometer was connected to a data acquisition system, through amplifiers to a computer. Since subject' posture influenced characteristics of the flexion reflex response, the subjects were supported in an upright posture by the help of parallelogram walder. Two series of tests were performed on each leg. The first series of the tests investigated the influence of hip angle during stationary standingposture on flexion reflex response. The hip angle was adjusted by the foot plate. The second examined the effect of the voluntary action of subject on swing motion during the gait. The electrically induced flexion reflex simultaneously produced the flexion of the hip, knee and dorsiflexion of the ankle enabling the swing phase of walking. Form the experimental results we observed that the reflex response of hip joint was largerwith the hip in the extended position than in the flexed position during standingposture. Under voluntary movement on flexion reflex during gaint, the peak hip angle induced by stimulation was

Intelligent surveillance systems (ISS) have gained a significant attention in recent years due to the nationwide security concerns. Some of the important applications of ISS include: homeland security, border monitoring, battlefield intelligence, and sensitive facility monitoring. The essential requirements of an ISS include: (1) multi-modality multi-sensor data and information fusion, (2) communication networking, (3) distributed data/information processing,(4) Automatic target recognition and tracking, (5) Scenario profiling from discrete correlated/uncorrelated events, (6) Context-based situation reasoning, and (7) Collaborative resource sharing and decision support systems. In this paper we have addressed the problem of humanposture classification in crowded urban terrain environments. Certain range of human postures can be attributed to different suspicious acts of intruders in a constrained environment. By proper time analysis of human trespassers' postures in an environment, it would be possible to identify and differentiate malicious intention of the trespassers from other normal human behaviors. Specifically in this paper, we have proposed an image processing-based approach for characterization of five different human postures including: standing, bending, crawling, carrying a heavy object, and holding a long object. Two approaches were introduced to address the problem: template-matching and Hamming Adaptive Neural Network (HANN) classifiers. The former approach performs human posture characterization via binary-profile projection and applies a correlation-based method for classification of human postures. The latter approach is based a HANN technique. For training of the neural, the posture-patterns are initially compressed, thresholded, and serialized. The binary posture-pattern arrays were then used for training of the HANN. The comparative performance evaluation of both approaches the same set of training and testing examples were used to measure

The aim of the present study was to assess postural stabilization skill in adult subjects affected by Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A. For this purpose ground reaction force (GRF) was measured by means of a piezoelectric force platform during the sit-to-stand (STS) movement, until a steady state erect posture was achieved. Specific indexes to quantify Centre of Mass acceleration, both during postural stabilization and during quiet standing, were computed using a mathematical model. Forty-seven CMT1A subjects were recruited for the study, and the control group was formed by forty-one age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The results show that CMT1A subjects are less stable than controls during the quiet stance. Greater difficulty (high values of Yinf, the final instability rate) to maintain erect posture appears to be mainly associated with plantar-flexor muscle weakness, rather than to damage of the proprioceptive system. The worst performances shown by CMT1A subjects in the stabilization phase (high values of I, the global index of postural stabilization performance) seem to be associated with reduced muscle strength and the loss of large sensory nerve fibres. Distal muscle weakness appears to affect both postural stabilization and quiet erect posture. The presented protocol and the analysis of postural stabilization parameters provide useful information on CMT1A balance disorders. PMID:25082324

The aim of the present study was to assess postural stabilization skill in adult subjects affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A. For this purpose ground reaction force (GRF) was measured by means of a piezoelectric force platform during the sit-to-stand (STS) movement, until a steady state erect posture was achieved. Specific indexes to quantify Centre of Mass acceleration, both during postural stabilization and during quiet standing, were computed using a mathematical model. Forty-seven CMT1A subjects were recruited for the study, and the control group was formed by forty-one age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The results show that CMT1A subjects are less stable than controls during the quiet stance. Greater difficulty (high values of Yinf, the final instability rate) to maintain erect posture appears to be mainly associated with plantar-flexor muscle weakness, rather than to damage of the proprioceptive system. The worst performances shown by CMT1A subjects in the stabilization phase (high values of I, the global index of postural stabilization performance) seem to be associated with reduced muscle strength and the loss of large sensory nerve fibres. Distal muscle weakness appears to affect both postural stabilization and quiet erect posture. The presented protocol and the analysis of postural stabilization parameters provide useful information on CMT1A balance disorders. PMID:25082324

As a school-based physical therapist, the author sees children with a wide variety of diagnoses affecting their mobility and motor function. Supported standing is an important part of the routines of those who are unable to stand independently due to issues affecting the neuromuscular system. Being eye-to-eye with their peers and interacting with…

The central nervous system (CNS) utilizes anticipatory (APAs) and compensatory (CPAs) postural adjustments to maintain equilibrium while standing. It is known that these postural adjustments involve displacements of the center of mass (COM) and center of pressure (COP). The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between APAs and CPAs from a kinetic and kinematic perspective. Eight subjects were exposed to external predictable and unpredictable perturbations induced at the shoulder level while standing. Kinematic and kinetic data were recorded and analyzed during the time duration typical for anticipatory and compensatory postural adjustments. When the perturbations were unpredictable, the COM and COP displacements were larger compared to predictable conditions with APAs. Thus, the peak of COM displacement, after the pendulum impact, in the posterior direction reached 28 ± 9.6 mm in the unpredictable conditions with no APAs whereas it was 1.6 times smaller, reaching 17 ± 5.5 mm during predictable perturbations. Similarly, after the impact, the peak of COP displacement in the posterior direction was 60 ± 14 mm for unpredictable conditions and 28 ± 3.6 mm for predictable conditions. Finally, the times of the peak COM and COP displacements were similar in the predictable and unpredictable conditions. This outcome provides additional knowledge about how body balance is controlled in presence and in absence of information about the forthcoming perturbation. Moreover, it suggests that control of posture could be enhanced by better utilization of APAs and such an approach could be considered as a valuable modality in the rehabilitation of individuals with balance impairment. PMID:20156693

Mammals adopt a limited number of postures during their day-to-day activities. These stereotyped skeletal configurations are functionally adequate and limit the number of degrees of freedom to be controlled by the central nervous system. The temporal pattern of emergence of these configurations in altricial mammals is unknown. We therefore carried out an X-ray study in unrestrained rats from birth (P0) until postnatal day 23 (P23). The X-rays showed that many of the skeletal configurations described in adult rodents were already present at birth. By contrast, limb placement changed abruptly at around P10. These skeletal configurations, observed in anesthetized pups, required the maintenance of precise motor control. On the other hand, motor control continued to mature, as shown by progressive changes in resting posture and head movements from P0 to P23. We suggest that a few innate skeletal configurations provide the necessary frames of reference for the gradual construction of an adult motor repertoire in altricial mammals, such as the rat. The apparent absence of a requirement for external sensorial cues in the maturation of this repertoire may account for the maturation of postural and motor control in utero in precocial mammals (Muir et al., 2000 for a review on the locomotor behavior of altricial and precocial animals). PMID:16814770

Both observational and instrumentation-based techniques have been used to conduct postural stress analysis in industry. As observational methods are more widespread than instrumentation-based techniques and can be used as a practical tool in the workplace, this study reviews and assesses the scientific literature on observational techniques. Techniques are classified into macropostural, micropostural and postural-work activity. The basis for each classification is outlined and evaluated. Postural recording is performed either continuously or intermittently. Intermittent postural recording procedures lack the criteria for determining the optimum number of observations for low and high repetitive jobs. Research is warranted to examine the sources and magnitudes of errors associated with postural classification. Such information is required to train job analysts in the ergonomics of working postures. PMID:15676953

Several forms of somatosensation require that afferent signals be informed by stored representations of body size and shape. Recent results have revealed that position sense relies on a highly distorted body representation. Changes of internal hand posture produce plastic alterations of processing in somatosensory cortex. This study therefore investigated how such postural changes affect implicit body representations underlying position sense. Participants localised the knuckles and tips of each finger in external space in two postures: the fingers splayed (Apart posture) or pressed together (Together posture). Comparison of the relative locations of the judgments of each landmark were used to construct implicit maps of represented hand structure. Spreading the fingers apart produced increases in the implicit representation of hand size, with no apparent effect on hand shape. Thus, changes of internal hand posture produce rapid modulation of how the hand itself is represented, paralleling the known effects on somatosensory cortical processing. PMID:26117153

Objective Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) activates the vestibular afferents, and these changes in vestibular input exert a strong influence on the subject’s posture or standing balance. In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), vestibular dysfunction might contribute to postural instability and gait disorders. Methods Current intensity was increased to 0.7 mA, and the current was applied to the patients for 20 minutes. To perform a sham stimulation, the current intensity was increased as described and then decreased to 0 mA over the course of 10 seconds. The patient’s status was recorded continuously for 20 minutes with the patient in the supine position. Results Three out of 5 patients diagnosed with PD with postural instability and/or abnormal axial posture showed a reduction in postural instability after GVS. The score for item 12 of the revised Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part 3 was decreased in these patients. Conclusions The mechanism of postural instability is complex and not completely understood. In 2 out of the 5 patients, postural instability was not changed in response to GVS. Nonetheless, the GVS-induced change in postural instability for 3 patients in our study suggests that GVS might be a therapeutic option for postural instability. PMID:26648182

The present study introduces a novel instrumented method to characterize postural movement strategies to maintain balance during stance (ankle and hip strategy), by means of inertial sensors, positioned on the legs and on the trunk. We evaluated postural strategies in subjects with2 types of parkinsonism: idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP),and inage-matched control subjects standing under perturbed conditions implementedby the Sensory Organization Test (SOT).Coordination between the upper and lower segments of the body during postural sway was measured using a covariance index over time, by a sliding-window algorithm. Afterwards, a postural strategy index was computed. We also measuredthe amount of postural sway, as adjunctive information to characterize balance, by the root mean square of the horizontal trunk acceleration signal (RMS). Results showed that control subjects were able to change their postural strategy, whilst PSP and PD subjects persisted in use of an ankle strategy in all conditions.PD subjects had RMS values similar to control subjects even without changing postural strategy appropriately, whereas PSP subjects showed much larger RMS values than controls, resulting in several falls during the most challenging SOT conditions (5 and 6). Results are in accordance with the corresponding clinical literature describing postural behavior in the same kind of subjects. The proposed strategy index, based on the use ofinertial sensors on the upper and lower body segments, isa promising and unobtrusive toolto characterize postural strategies performed to attain balance. PMID:24656713

Optimal postural control is an essential capacity in daily life and can be highly variable. The purpose of this study was to investigate if young people have the ability to choose the optimal postural control strategy according to the postural condition and to investigate if non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) influences the variability in proprioceptive postural control strategies. Young individuals with NSLBP (n = 106) and healthy controls (n = 50) were tested on a force plate in different postural conditions (i.e., sitting, stable support standing and unstable support standing). The role of proprioception in postural control was directly examined by means of muscle vibration on triceps surae and lumbar multifidus muscles. Root mean square and mean displacements of the center of pressure were recorded during the different trials. To appraise the proprioceptive postural control strategy, the relative proprioceptive weighting (RPW, ratio of ankle muscles proprioceptive inputs vs. back muscles proprioceptive inputs) was calculated. Postural robustness was significantly less in individuals with NSLBP during the more complex postural conditions (p postural conditions (p postural control. Therefore, healthy controls seem to have the ability to choose a more optimal postural control strategy according to the postural condition. In contrast, young people with NSLBP showed a reduced capacity to switch to a more multi-segmental postural control strategy during complex postural conditions, which leads to decreased postural robustness. PMID:20824281

Normal subjects made bilaterally symmetric rapid elbow flexions or extensions ("focal movement") while free standing or when supported by being strapped to a firm wall behind them (different "postural set"). In some trials a load opposed the movement two thirds of the way into its course. Electromyographic activity in leg and trunk muscles ("associated postural adjustments") demonstrated specific patterns for each type of movement. Activity in these muscles began prior to activity in the arm muscles and demonstrated a distal-to-proximal order of activation. The EMG patterns were characterised by alternating activity in the antagonist pairs similar to the triphasic pattern seen in the arm muscles. When the movement type was changed change of the pattern of the postural muscles occurred over several trials. It is concluded that the associated postural adjustments are pre-programmed motor activity linked to the focal movement, specific for the focal movement including anticipated events and the postural set. PMID:6736995

The Case Western Reserve University/Department of Veterans Affairs 8-channel lower-limb neuroprosthesis can restore standing to selected individuals with paraplegia by application of functional electrical stimulation. The second generation of this system will include 16 channels of stimulation and a closed-loop control scheme to provide automatic postural corrections. This study used a musculoskeletal model of the legs and trunk to determine which muscles to target with the new system in order to maximize the range of postures that can be statically maintained, which should increase the system’s ability to provide adequate support to maintain standing when the user’s posture moves away from a neutral stance, either by an external disturbance or a volitional change in posture by the user. The results show that the prime muscle targets should be the medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, vastus lateralis, semimembranosus, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, adductor magnus, and erector spinae. This set of 16 muscles supports 42 percent of the standingpostures that are attainable by the nondisabled model. Coactivation of the lateral gastrocnemius and peroneus longus with the medial gastrocnemius and of the peroneus tertius with the tibialis anterior increased the percentage of feasible postures to 71 percent. PMID:16847793

[Purpose] Postural stability is the ability of to maintain the position of the body within the support area. This function is affected in cerebral palsy. The aim of the present study was to compare static and dynamic postural stability between children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and healthy controls. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-seven children between the ages of 5 and 14 diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (19 right, 18 left) and 23 healthy gender- and age-matched controls were included in the study. Postural stability was evaluated in both of the groups using a Neurocom Balance. Sway velocity was measured both with the eyes open and closed. Sit to stand and turning abilities were also assessed. [Results] The sway velocities with the eyes open and closed were significantly different between the groups. The weight transfer time in the Sit to Stand test was also significantly slower in children with cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy also showed slower turning times and greater sway velocities during the Step and Quick Turn test on a force plate compared with their healthy counterparts. [Conclusion] Both static and dynamic postural stability parameters are affected in hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Further research is needed to define rehabilitation interventions to improve these parameters in patients. PMID:27313338

A reliable and adaptive relationship between action and perception is necessary for postural control. Our understanding of how this adaptive sensorimotor control develops during infancy is very limited. This study examines the dynamic visual-postural relationship during early development. Twenty healthy infants were divided into 4 developmental groups (each n=5): sitting onset, standing alone, walking onset, and 1-year post-walking. During the experiment, the infant sat independently in a virtual moving-room in which anterior-posterior oscillations of visual motion were presented using a sum-of-sines technique with five input frequencies (from 0.12 to 1.24Hz). Infants were tested in five conditions that varied in the amplitude of visual motion (from 0 to 8.64cm). Gain and phase responses of infants' postural sway were analyzed. Our results showed that infants, from a few months post-sitting to 1 year post-walking, were able to control their sitting posture in response to various frequency and amplitude properties of the visual motion. Infants showed an adult-like inverted-U pattern for the frequency response to visual inputs with the highest gain at 0.52 and 0.76Hz. As the visual motion amplitude increased, the gain response decreased. For the phase response, an adult-like frequency-dependent pattern was observed in all amplitude conditions for the experienced walkers. Newly sitting infants, however, showed variable postural behavior and did not systemically respond to the visual stimulus. Our results suggest that visual-postural entrainment and sensory re-weighting are fundamental processes that are present after a few months post sitting. Sensorimotor refinement during early postural development may result from the interactions of improved self-motion control and enhanced perceptual abilities. PMID:26979899

Previous studies have identified two discrete strategies for the control of posture in the sagittal plane based on EMG activations, body kinematics, and ground reaction forces. The ankle strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a single-segment-inverted pendulum and was elicited on flat support surfaces. In contrast, the hip strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a double-segment inverted pendulum divided at the hip and was elicited on short or compliant support surfaces. However, biomechanical optimization models have suggested that hip strategy should be observed in response to fast translations on a flat surface also, provided the feet are constrained to remain in contact with the floor and the knee is constrained to remain straight. The purpose of this study was to examine the experimental evidence for hip strategy in postural responses to backward translations of a flat support surface and to determine whether analyses of joint torques would provide evidence for two separate postural strategies. Normal subjects standing on a flat support surface were translated backward with a range of velocities from fast (55 cm/s) to slow (5 cm/s). EMG activations and joint kinematics showed pattern changes consistent with previous experimental descriptions of mixed hip and ankle strategy with increasing platform velocity. Joint torque analyses revealed the addition of a hip flexor torque to the ankle plantarflexor torque during fast translations. This finding indicates the addition of hip strategy to ankle strategy to produce a continuum of postural responses. Hip torque without accompanying ankle torque (pure hip strategy) was not observed. Although postural control strategies have previously been defined by how the body moves, we conclude that joint torques, which indicate how body movements are produced, are useful in defining postural control strategies. These results also illustrate how the biomechanics of the body can transform discrete control

Previous studies have identified two discrete strategies for the control of posture in the sagittal plane based on EMG activations, body kinematics, and ground reaction forces. The ankle strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a single-segment-inverted pendulum and was elicited on flat support surfaces. In contrast, the hip strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a double-segment inverted pendulum divided at the hip and was elicited on short or compliant support surfaces. However, biomechanical optimization models have suggested that hip strategy should be observed in response to fast translations on a flat surface also, provided the feet are constrained to remain in contact with the floor and the knee is constrained to remain straight. The purpose of this study was to examine the experimental evidence for hip strategy in postural responses to backward translations of a flat support surface and to determine whether analyses of joint torques would provide evidence for two separate postural strategies. Normal subjects standing on a flat support surface were translated backward with a range of velocities from fast (55 cm/s) to slow (5 cm/s). EMG activations and joint kinematics showed pattern changes consistent with previous experimental descriptions of mixed hip and ankle strategy with increasing platform velocity. Joint torque analyses revealed the addition of a hip flexor torque to the ankle plantarflexor torque during fast translations. This finding indicates the addition of hip strategy to ankle strategy to produce a continuum of postural responses. Hip torque without accompanying ankle torque (pure hip strategy) was not observed. Although postural control strategies have previously been defined by how the body moves, we conclude that joint torques, which indicate how body movements are produced, are useful in defining postural control strategies. These results also illustrate how the biomechanics of the body can transform discrete control

This study investigated the characteristics of dynamic postural responses when subjects attempted to maintain an upright standing position on a support plate during continuous sinusoidal perturbation in the anterior-posterior direction. Fifteen healthy young subjects participated in the experiment. Body movement patterns during the perturbation were captured and analyzed using a 3D motion analysis system (APAS 3D motion analysis, Ariel Dynamics Inc.). Seven markers were attached on the subject's body to measure and analyze the motion patterns. The markers were positioned at the head, chest, hip, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle. Five different frequencies of motion were applied to the support surface: 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Hz with a 4-cm path of motion at the base. The experiments measured dynamic postural responses in a condition were subjects had their eyes open. The results showed that the median frequency of the knee and ankle increased in all frequency bands. Following an increase in the frequency of the perturbation, the postural control strategy was changed from the ankle strategy to a combined strategy. These experimental results could be applied to the dynamic postural training for the elderly and to rehabilitation training for patients to improve their ability for postural control. PMID:25226955

The link between emotions and postural control has been rather unexplored in children. The objective of the present study was to establish whether the projection of pleasant and unpleasant videos with similar arousal would lead to specific postural responses such as postural freezing, aversive or appetitive behaviours as a function of age. We hypothesized that postural sway would similarly increase with the viewing of high arousal videos in children and adults, whatever the emotional context. 40 children participated in the study and were divided into two groups of age: group 7-9 years (n=23; mean age=8 years ± 0.7) and group 10-12 years (n=17; mean age=11 years ± 0.7). 19 adults (mean age=25.8 years ± 4.4) also took part in the experiment. They viewed emotional videos while standing still on a force platform. Centre of foot pressure (CoP) displacements were analysed. Antero-posterior, medio-lateral mean speed and sway path length increased similarly with the viewing of high arousal movies in the younger, older children, and adults. Our findings suggest that the development of postural control is not influenced by the maturation of the emotional processing. PMID:26979902

[Purpose] The present study investigated what kind of effect smart phone use has on dynamic postural balance. [Subjects] The study subjects were 30 healthy students in their 20's who were recruited from a University in Busan, Korea. [Methods] The present experiment was quasi-experimental research which measured the postural balance (Biodex) of subjects while they sent text messages via smart phones in the standing position with the eyes open, and while they used two-way SNS. [Results] There were significant differences between standing and the dual-task situations. Among dual tasks using smart phones, SNS using situations showed the highest instability. [Conclusion] The use of smart phones in less stable conditions such as while walking or in moving vehicles should be discouraged. PMID:25140085

[Purpose] The present study investigated what kind of effect smart phone use has on dynamic postural balance. [Subjects] The study subjects were 30 healthy students in their 20’s who were recruited from a University in Busan, Korea. [Methods] The present experiment was quasi-experimental research which measured the postural balance (Biodex) of subjects while they sent text messages via smart phones in the standing position with the eyes open, and while they used two-way SNS. [Results] There were significant differences between standing and the dual-task situations. Among dual tasks using smart phones, SNS using situations showed the highest instability. [Conclusion] The use of smart phones in less stable conditions such as while walking or in moving vehicles should be discouraged. PMID:25140085

Mobile phones are common in our daily life, but the users' preferences for postures or screen operating styles have not been studied. This was a cross-sectional and observational study. We randomly sampled passengers who used mobile phones on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in metropolitan Taipei. A checklist was used to observe their body postures and screen operating styles while sitting or standing. As a result, 1,230 subjects from 400 trips were observed. Overall, of all the passengers who were sitting, 41% of them were using mobile phones. The majority of the tasks involved browsing (84%) with their phones in a portrait orientation (93%). Different-hand holding/operating was the most commonly used operating style while sitting (46%) and same-hand holding/operating was the most common while standing (46%). The distribution of screen operating styles was significantly different for those sitting than for those standing and for different genders and age groups. The most frequently observed postures while sitting were having one's trunk against a backrest, feet on the floor and with or without an arm supported (58%). As for the users who were standing, the both- and different-hands groups had a high proportion of arms unsupported, feet on the floor and either their trunk supported or not. In contrast, the same-hand group tended to have their trunk unsupported, were holding a pole or handstrap and had both feet on floor. Further studies are warranted to characterize the ergonomic exposure of these commonly used postures and operating styles, and our results will help guide the selection of experimental conditions for laboratory settings. PMID:26828797

Mobile phones are common in our daily life, but the users’ preferences for postures or screen operating styles have not been studied. This was a cross-sectional and observational study. We randomly sampled passengers who used mobile phones on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in metropolitan Taipei. A checklist was used to observe their body postures and screen operating styles while sitting or standing. As a result, 1,230 subjects from 400 trips were observed. Overall, of all the passengers who were sitting, 41% of them were using mobile phones. The majority of the tasks involved browsing (84%) with their phones in a portrait orientation (93%). Different-hand holding/operating was the most commonly used operating style while sitting (46%) and same-hand holding/operating was the most common while standing (46%). The distribution of screen operating styles was significantly different for those sitting than for those standing and for different genders and age groups. The most frequently observed postures while sitting were having one’s trunk against a backrest, feet on the floor and with or without an arm supported (58%). As for the users who were standing, the both- and different-hands groups had a high proportion of arms unsupported, feet on the floor and either their trunk supported or not. In contrast, the same-hand group tended to have their trunk unsupported, were holding a pole or handstrap and had both feet on floor. Further studies are warranted to characterize the ergonomic exposure of these commonly used postures and operating styles, and our results will help guide the selection of experimental conditions for laboratory settings. PMID:26828797

INTRODUCTION: We are interested in mechanisms associated with orthostatic tolerance. In previous studies we have shown that postural muscles in the calf contribute to both posture and blood pressure regulation during orthostatic stress. In this study we investigated the relationship between cardiovascular and postural muscle control before, during and after short arm human centrifuge (SAHC) up to 2.2 G. METHODS: Eleven healthy young subjects (6 m, 5 f), with no history of cardiovascular disease, falls or orthostatic hypotension, participated. All were familiarized with the SAHC with 10 minutes at 1-G at the feet. Each subject was instrumented in the supine position on the SAHC for beat-to-beat ECG and blood pressure (Portapres derived SBP). Bilateral lower leg EMG was collected from four leg postural muscles: tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, and medial soleus. Transdermal differential recording of signals was performed using an 8-channel EMG system, (Myosystem 1200, Noraxon Inc., Arizona, USA). Postural sway data of the body COP was computed from the force and moment data collected with a force platform (Accusway, AMTI, MA, USA). Before and after SAHC, the subject stood on a force platform with their gaze fixed on a point at eye level, closed their eyes and stood quietly for 5 min. A final stand was conducted 30 min after centrifugation with supine rest in between. During clockwise centrifugation (10-min 1g and 10-min 2.2g at the foot) the subjects’ head was hooded and in the dark. The subject’s body was restrained into the rotation arm with a parachute harness and given additional body support with a foot-plate. ECG, EMG and BP data were collected throughout and centre of pressure trajectory (COP) collected during the stand test. Subjects were requested to relax and not to voluntarily contract the leg muscles; however, they were not to suppress contractions as they occurred involuntarily or by reflex. A Continuous Wavelet

The transition between quiet stance and gait requires the volitional movement of one?s center of mass (COM) toward a limit of stability (LOS). The goal of this study was to measure the effect of leaning from perceived upright on postural stability when voluntarily maintaining fixed stance positions and during perturbations of the support surface. The COM was derived from force plate data in 12 healthy subjects while standing with feet positioned so that lateral base of support was equal to foot length. For all conditions, arms were folded and subjects were instructed to lean without bending at the hips or lifting their feet. The LOS was determined during maximal voluntary leans with eyes open and closed. The COM was then displayed on a monitor located in front of the subject. Subjects were visually guided to lean toward a target position, maintain this position for 10s, return to upright, and then repeat the same targeted lean maneuver with eyes closed. Targets were randomly presented at 2? in 8 directions and between 2-6? in these same directions according to the asymmetric LOS. Subjects were then verbally guided to lean between 2? back and 4? forward prior to a perturbation of the support surface in either a forward or backward direction. The average LOS was 5.8? forward, 2.9? back, and 4.8? in left/right directions, with no significant difference between eyes open and closed. Center of pressure (COP) velocity increased as subjects maintained fixed stance positions farther from upright, with increased variability during eyes closed conditions. The time to stability and COP path length increased as subjects leaned opposite to the direction of the support surface perturbations. We conclude that postural stability is compromised as subjects lean away from perceived upright, except for perturbations that induce sway in the direction opposite the lean. The asymmetric LOS relative to perceived upright favors postural stability for COM movements in the forward direction.

The dorsal-side-up trunk orientation in standing quadrupeds is maintained by the postural system driven mainly by somatosensory inputs from the limbs. Postural limb reflexes (PLRs) represent a substantial component of this system. Earlier we described spinal neurons presumably contributing to the generation of PLRs. The first aim of the present study was to reveal trends in the distribution of neurons with different parameters of PLR-related activity across the gray matter of the spinal cord. The second aim was to estimate the contribution of PLR-related neurons with different patterns of convergence of sensory inputs from the limbs to stabilization of body orientation in different planes. For this purpose, the head and vertebral column of the decerebrate rabbit were fixed, whereas the hindlimbs were positioned on a platform. Activity of individual neurons from L5–L6 was recorded during PLRs evoked by lateral tilts of the platform. In addition, the neurons were tested by tilts of the platform under only the ipsilateral or only the contralateral limb, as well as during in-phase tilts of the platforms under both limbs. We found that, across the spinal gray matter, strength of PLR-related neuronal activity and sensory input from the ipsi-limb decreased in the dorso-ventral direction, while strength of the input from the contra-limb increased. A near linear summation of tilt-related sensory inputs from different limbs was found. Functional roles were proposed for individual neurons. The obtained data present the first characterization of posture-related spinal neurons, forming a basis for studies of postural networks impaired by injury. PMID:25370349

Dynamic posture testing was conducted on the science crew of the Spacelab-1 mission on a single axis linear motion platform. Tests took place in pre- and post-flight sessions lasting approximately 20 min each. The pre-flight tests were widely spaced over the several months prior to the mission while the post-flight tests were conducted over the first, second, fourth, and sixth days after landing. Two of the crew members were also tested on the day of landing. Consistent with previous postural testing conducted on flight crews, these crew members were able to complete simple postural tasks to an acceptable level even in the first few hours after landing. Our tests were designed to induce dynamic postural responses using a variety of stimuli and from these responses, evaluate subtle changes in the postural control system which had occurred over the duration of the flight. Periodic sampling post-flight allowed us to observe the time course of readaptation to terrestrial life. Our observations of hip and shoulder position, when subjected to careful analysis, indicated modification of the postural response from pre- to post-flight and that demonstrable adjustments in the dynamic control of their postural systems were taking place in the first few days after flight. For transient stimuli where the platform on which they were asked to stand quickly moved a few centimeters fore or aft then stopped, ballistic or open loop 'programs' would closely characterize the response. During these responses the desired target position was not always achieved and of equal importance not always properly corrected some 15 seconds after the platform ceased to move. The persistent observation was that the subjects had a much stronger dependence on visual stabilization post-flight than pre-flight. This was best illustrated by a slow or only partial recovery to an upward posture after a transient base-of-support movement with eyes open. Postural responses to persistent wideband pseudorandom

Background The lack of clear understanding of the association between sitting posture and adolescent musculoskeletal pain, might reflect invalid and/or unreliable posture measurement instruments. The psychometric properties of any new measurement instrument should be demonstrated prior to use for research or clinical purposes. This paper describes psychometric testing of a new three-dimensional (3D), portable, non-invasive posture analysis tool (3D-PAT), from sequential studies using a mannequin and high school students. Methods The first study compared the 3D-(X-, Y- and Z-) coordinates of reflective markers placed on a mannequin using the 3D-PAT, and the Vicon motion analysis system. This study also tested the reliability of taking repeated measures of the 3D-coordinates of the reflective markers. The second study determined the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the 3D-PAT measurements of nine sitting postural angles of high school students undertaking a standard computing task. In both studies, concordance correlation coefficients and Intraclass correlation coefficients described test-retest reliability, whilst Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots demonstrated concurrent validity. Results The 3D-PAT provides reliable and valid 3D measurements of five of the nine postural angles i.e. head flexion, neck flexion, cranio-cervical angle, trunk flexion and head lateral bending in adolescents undertaking a standard task. Conclusions The 3D-PAT is appropriate for research and clinical settings to measure five upper quadrant postural angles in three dimensions. As a measurement instrument it can provide further understanding of the relationship between sitting posture, changes to sitting posture and adolescent musculoskeletal pain. PMID:24289665

Hiking is a demanding form of exercise that may cause delayed responses of the postural muscles and a loss of somatosensory information, particularly when repeatedly performed for several days. These effects may negatively influence the postural control of hikers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a four-day hike on postural control. Twenty-six adults of both sexes travelled 262 kilometers, stopping for lunch and resting in the early evening each day. Force platforms were used to collect center of pressure (COP) data at 100 Hz for 70 seconds before hiking started and immediately after arriving at the rest station each day. The COP time course data were analyzed according to global stabilometric descriptors, spectral analysis and structural descriptors using sway density curve (SDC) and stabilometric diffusion analysis (SDA). Significant increases were found for global variables in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions (COP sway area, COP total sway path, COP mean velocity, COP root mean square value and COP range). In the spectral analysis, only the 80% power frequency (F80) in the anterior-posterior direction showed a significant increase, reflecting the increase of the sway frequencies. The SDC revealed a significant increase in the mean distance between peaks (MD) and a significant decrease in the mean peak amplitudes (MP), suggesting that a larger torque amplitude is required for stabilization and that the postural stability is reduced. The SDA revealed a decrease in the long-term slope (Hl) and increases in the short-term (Ks) and the long-term (Kl) intercepts. We considered the likelihood that the presence of local and general fatigue, pain and related neuromuscular adaptations and somatosensory deficits may have contributed to these postural responses. Together, these results demonstrated that four days of hiking increased sway frequencies and deteriorated postural control in the standing position. PMID

Hiking is a demanding form of exercise that may cause delayed responses of the postural muscles and a loss of somatosensory information, particularly when repeatedly performed for several days. These effects may negatively influence the postural control of hikers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a four-day hike on postural control. Twenty-six adults of both sexes travelled 262 kilometers, stopping for lunch and resting in the early evening each day. Force platforms were used to collect center of pressure (COP) data at 100 Hz for 70 seconds before hiking started and immediately after arriving at the rest station each day. The COP time course data were analyzed according to global stabilometric descriptors, spectral analysis and structural descriptors using sway density curve (SDC) and stabilometric diffusion analysis (SDA). Significant increases were found for global variables in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions (COP sway area, COP total sway path, COP mean velocity, COP root mean square value and COP range). In the spectral analysis, only the 80% power frequency (F80) in the anterior-posterior direction showed a significant increase, reflecting the increase of the sway frequencies. The SDC revealed a significant increase in the mean distance between peaks (MD) and a significant decrease in the mean peak amplitudes (MP), suggesting that a larger torque amplitude is required for stabilization and that the postural stability is reduced. The SDA revealed a decrease in the long-term slope (Hl) and increases in the short-term (Ks) and the long-term (Kl) intercepts. We considered the likelihood that the presence of local and general fatigue, pain and related neuromuscular adaptations and somatosensory deficits may have contributed to these postural responses. Together, these results demonstrated that four days of hiking increased sway frequencies and deteriorated postural control in the standing position. PMID

Human postural sway during quiet standing demonstrates a complex structured dynamics, which has been studied by applying numerous methods, such as linear system identification methods, stochastic analysis, and nonlinear system dynamics tools. Although each of the methods applied revealed some particular features of the sway data none of them have succeeded to present a global picture of the quiet stance dynamics, which probably has both stochastic and deterministic properties. In this study we have started applying ergodic theory of dynamical systems to explore statistical characteristic of the sway dynamics observed in successive trials of a subject, different subjects in an age group, and finally different age groups constituted by children, adults, and elderly subjects. Five successive 180-s long trials were performed by each of 28 subjects in four age groups at quiet stance with eyes open. Stationary and ergodic signal characteristics of five successive center of pressure time series collected from a subject in antero-posterior direction (CoPx) were examined. 97% of the trials were found to be stationary by applying Run Test while children and elderly groups demonstrated significant nonstationary behavior. On the other hand 13 out of 24 subjects were found to be nonergodic. We expected to observe differences in complexity of CoPx dynamics due to aging (Farmer, Ott, & Yorke, 1983). However linear metrics such as standard deviation and Fourier spectra of CoPx signals did not show differences due to the age groups. Correlation dimension (Dk) estimates of stationary CoPx signals being an invariant measure of nonlinear system dynamics were computed by using the average displacement method (Eckmann & Ruelle, 1985). Postural dynamics was expanded in m-dimensional space through CoPx signal by introducing optimum time delays, τcritical. 112 out of 136 stationary CoPx signals for 24 stationary subjects converged to Dk estimates. Average of Dk estimates for children and

Postural control rehabilitation may benefit from the use of smart devices providing biofeedback. This approach consists of increasing the patients perception of their postural state. Namely, postural state is monitored and fed back in real time to the patients through one or more sensory channels. This allows implementing rehabilitation exercises where the patients control their posture with the help of additional sensory inputs. In this paper, a closed loop control of the Center-Of-Pressure (CoP) based on kinesthetic feedback is proposed as a new form of biofeedback. The motion of a one Degree of Freedom (DoF) translational device, lightly touched by the patient's forefinger, is servoed to the patient's CoP position extracted from the measurements of a force plate on which he/she stands. As a result, the patient's CoP can be controllably displaced. A first set of experiments is used to prove the feasibility of this closed-loop control under ideal conditions favoring the perception of the kinesthetic feedback, while the subject is totally unaware of the context. A second set of experiments is then proposed to evaluate the robustness of this approach under experimental conditions that are more realistic with regards to the clinical context of a rehabilitation program involving biofeedback-based exercises. PMID:24968379

Humans have to acquire postural robustness to maintain stability against internal and external perturbations. Human standing has been recently modelled using an intermittent feedback control. However, the causality inside of the closed-loop postural control system associated with the neural control strategy is still unknown. Here, we examined the effect of intermittent feedback control on postural robustness and of changes in active/passive components on joint coordinative structure. We implemented computer simulation of a quadruple inverted pendulum that is mechanically close to human tiptoe standing. We simulated three pairs of joint viscoelasticity and three choices of neural control strategies for each joint: intermittent, continuous, or passive control. We examined postural robustness for each parameter set by analysing the region of active feedback gain. We found intermittent control at the hip joint was necessary for model stabilisation and model parameters affected the robustness of the pendulum. Joint sways of the pendulum model were partially smaller than or similar to those of experimental data. In conclusion, intermittent feedback control was necessary for the stabilisation of the quadruple inverted pendulum. Also, postural robustness of human-like multi-link standing would be achieved by both passive joint viscoelasticity and neural joint control strategies. PMID:26931281

Humans have to acquire postural robustness to maintain stability against internal and external perturbations. Human standing has been recently modelled using an intermittent feedback control. However, the causality inside of the closed-loop postural control system associated with the neural control strategy is still unknown. Here, we examined the effect of intermittent feedback control on postural robustness and of changes in active/passive components on joint coordinative structure. We implemented computer simulation of a quadruple inverted pendulum that is mechanically close to human tiptoe standing. We simulated three pairs of joint viscoelasticity and three choices of neural control strategies for each joint: intermittent, continuous, or passive control. We examined postural robustness for each parameter set by analysing the region of active feedback gain. We found intermittent control at the hip joint was necessary for model stabilisation and model parameters affected the robustness of the pendulum. Joint sways of the pendulum model were partially smaller than or similar to those of experimental data. In conclusion, intermittent feedback control was necessary for the stabilisation of the quadruple inverted pendulum. Also, postural robustness of human-like multi-link standing would be achieved by both passive joint viscoelasticity and neural joint control strategies.

Humans have to acquire postural robustness to maintain stability against internal and external perturbations. Human standing has been recently modelled using an intermittent feedback control. However, the causality inside of the closed-loop postural control system associated with the neural control strategy is still unknown. Here, we examined the effect of intermittent feedback control on postural robustness and of changes in active/passive components on joint coordinative structure. We implemented computer simulation of a quadruple inverted pendulum that is mechanically close to human tiptoe standing. We simulated three pairs of joint viscoelasticity and three choices of neural control strategies for each joint: intermittent, continuous, or passive control. We examined postural robustness for each parameter set by analysing the region of active feedback gain. We found intermittent control at the hip joint was necessary for model stabilisation and model parameters affected the robustness of the pendulum. Joint sways of the pendulum model were partially smaller than or similar to those of experimental data. In conclusion, intermittent feedback control was necessary for the stabilisation of the quadruple inverted pendulum. Also, postural robustness of human-like multi-link standing would be achieved by both passive joint viscoelasticity and neural joint control strategies. PMID:26931281

Corticospinal excitability in the lower leg muscles is enhanced during standing as compared to other postures. In the present study, we investigated how the excitability of intracortical circuits that control the tibialis anterior muscle (TA) is modulated during standing. Short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were assessed by the paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation technique during standing (STD) and sitting (SIT) with a comparable background activity level in both the soleus and the TA muscle. The results demonstrated that SICI was less effective during STD than during SIT, whereas ICF was more effective during STD than during SIT. These findings suggest that the excitabilities of these cortical neural circuits are modulated depending on posture. A decrease in SICI and an increase in ICF may reflect subliminal enhancement of the cortical excitability in the TA muscle during standing as compared with that during sitting. PMID:24978603

Introduction POTS is defined as the development of orthostatic symptoms associated with a heart rate (HR) increment ≥30, usually to ≥120 bpm without orthostatic hypotension. Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance are those due to brain hypoperfusion and those due to sympathetic overaction. Methods We provide a review of POTS based primarily on work from the Mayo Clinic. Results Females predominate over males by 5:1. Mean age of onset in adults is about 30 years and most patients are between the ages of 20–40 years. Pathophysiologic mechanisms (not mutually exclusive) include peripheral denervation, hypovolemia, venous pooling, β-receptor supersensitivity, psychologic mechanisms, and presumed impairment of brain stem regulation. Prolonged deconditioning may also interact with these mechanisms to exacerbate symptoms. The evaluation of POTS requires a focused history and examination, followed by tests that should include HUT, some estimation of volume status and preferably some evaluation of peripheral denervation and hyperadrenergic state. All patients with POTS require a high salt diet, copious fluids, and postural training. Many require β-receptor antagonists in small doses and low-dose vasoconstrictors. Somatic hypervigilance and psychologic factors are involved in a significant proportion of patients. Conclusions POTS is heterogeneous in presentation and mechanisms. Major mechanisms are denervation, hypovolemia, deconditioning, and hyperadrenergic state. Most patients can benefit from a pathophysiologically based regimen of management. PMID:19207771

Upright posture imposes a substantial gravitational stress on the body, for which we are able to compensate, in large part because of the autonomic nervous system. Alteration in autonomic function, therefore, may lead to orthostatic intolerance. On one extreme, patients with autonomic failure caused by degenerative loss of autonomic function are severely disabled by orthostatic hypotension and may faint whenever they stand up. Fortunately, such patients are relatively rare. On the other hand, disabling orthostatic intolerance can develop in otherwise normal young people. These patients can be severely impaired by symptoms of fatigue, tachycardia, and shortness of breath when they stand up. The actual incidence of this disorder is unknown, but these patients make up the largest group of patients referred to centers that specialize in autonomic disorders. We will review recent advances made in the understanding of this condition, potential pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to orthostatic intolerance, therapeutic alternatives currently available for the management of these patients, and areas in which more research is needed.

Many factors influence physical attractiveness, including degree of symmetry and relative length of legs. We asked a sample of 112 young adults to rate the attractiveness of computer-generated female bodies that varied in terms of symmetry and leg-to-body ratio. These effects were confirmed. However, we also varied whether the person in the image was shown sitting or standing. Half of the participants were tested standing and the other half sitting. The difference in the posture of the participants increased the perceived attractiveness of the images sharing the same posture, despite the fact that participants were unaware that their posture was relevant for the experiment. We conclude that our findings extend the role of embodied simulation in social cognition to perception of attractiveness from static images. PMID:23799194

Many factors influence physical attractiveness, including degree of symmetry and relative length of legs. We asked a sample of 112 young adults to rate the attractiveness of computer-generated female bodies that varied in terms of symmetry and leg-to-body ratio. These effects were confirmed. However, we also varied whether the person in the image was shown sitting or standing. Half of the participants were tested standing and the other half sitting. The difference in the posture of the participants increased the perceived attractiveness of the images sharing the same posture, despite the fact that participants were unaware that their posture was relevant for the experiment. We conclude that our findings extend the role of embodied simulation in social cognition to perception of attractiveness from static images. PMID:23799194

Detrended fluctuation analysis is used to study the behaviour of the time series of the position of the center of pressure, output from the activity of a human postural control system. The results suggest that these trajectories present a crossover in their scaling properties from persistent (for high frequencies, short-range time scale) to anti-persistent (for low frequencies, long-range time scale) behaviours. The values of the scaling exponent found for the persistent parts of the trajectories are very similar for all the cases analysed. The similarity of the results obtained for the measurements done with both eyes open and both eyes closed indicate either that the visual system may be disregarded by the postural control system, while maintaining quiet standing, or that the control mechanisms associated with each type of information (visual, vestibular and somatosensory) cannot be disentangled with this technique.

This study investigated the effect of psychological pressure on spinal reflex excitability. Thirteen participants performed a balancing task by standing on a balance disk with one foot. After six practice trials, they performed one nonpressure and one pressure trial involving a performance-contingent cash reward or punishment. Stress responses were successfully induced; state anxiety, mental effort, and heart rates all increased under pressure. Soleus Hoffmann reflex amplitude in the pressure trial was significantly smaller than in the nonpressure trial. This modification of spinal reflexes may be caused by presynaptic inhibition under the control of higher central nerve excitation under pressure. This change did not prevent 12 of the 13 participants from successfully completing the postural control task under pressure. These results suggest that Hoffmann reflex inhibition would contribute to optimal postural control under stressful situations. PMID:25587695

By analyzing the movements of quiet standing persons by means of wavelet statistics, we observe multiple scaling regions in the underlying body dynamics. The use of the wavelet-variance function opens the possibility to relate scaling violations to different modes of posture control. We show that scaling behavior becomes close to perfect, when correctional movements are dominated by the vestibular system.

Many of our motor activities require stabilization against external disturbances. This especially applies to biped stance since it is inherently unstable. Disturbance compensation is mainly reactive, depending on sensory inputs and real-time sensor fusion. In humans, the vestibular system plays a major role. When there is no visual space reference, vestibular-loss clearly impairs stance stability. Most humanoid robots do not use a vestibular system, but stabilize upright body posture by means of center of pressure (COP) control. We here suggest using in addition a vestibular sensor and present a biologically inspired vestibular sensor along with a human-inspired stance control mechanism. We proceed in two steps. First, in an introductory review part, we report on relevant human sensors and their role in stance control, focusing on own models of transmitter fusion in the vestibular sensor and sensor fusion in stance control. In a second, experimental part, the models are used to construct an artificial vestibular system and to embed it into the stance control of a humanoid. The robot's performance is investigated using tilts of the support surface. The results are compared to those of humans. Functional significance of the vestibular sensor is highlighted by comparing vestibular-able with vestibular-loss states in robot and humans. We show that a kinematic body-space sensory feedback (vestibular) is advantageous over a kinetic one (force cues) for dynamic body-space balancing. Our embodiment of human sensorimotor control principles into a robot is more than just bionics. It inspired our biological work (neurorobotics: 'learning by building', proof of principle, and more). We envisage a future clinical use in the form of hardware-in-the-loop simulations of neurological symptoms for improving diagnosis and therapy and designing medical assistive devices. PMID:19665555

Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their competition level (using affiliated test levels). Leg length, grip strength and spinal posture were measured and recorded by a physiotherapist. Standing and sitting posture and trunk flexibility were measured with 3-D motion capture technology. Right-left differences were explored in relation to years riding and rider competitive experience. Significant anatomical asymmetry was found for the difference in standing acromion process height for a competition level (−0.07±1.50 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.02±1.31 cm Novice; 0.43±1.27 cm Elementary+; p=0.048) and for sitting iliac crest height for years riding (−0.23±1.36 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.01±1.50 cm Novice; 0.86±0.41 cm Elementary+; p=0.021). For functional asymmetry, a significant interaction was found for lateral bending ROM for years riding x competition level (p=0.047). The demands on dressage riders competing at higher levels may predispose these riders to a higher risk of developing asymmetry and potentially chronic back pain rather than improving their symmetry. PMID:25414745

Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their competition level (using affiliated test levels). Leg length, grip strength and spinal posture were measured and recorded by a physiotherapist. Standing and sitting posture and trunk flexibility were measured with 3-D motion capture technology. Right-left differences were explored in relation to years riding and rider competitive experience. Significant anatomical asymmetry was found for the difference in standing acromion process height for a competition level (-0.07±1.50 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.02±1.31 cm Novice; 0.43±1.27 cm Elementary+; p=0.048) and for sitting iliac crest height for years riding (-0.23±1.36 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.01±1.50 cm Novice; 0.86±0.41 cm Elementary+; p=0.021). For functional asymmetry, a significant interaction was found for lateral bending ROM for years riding x competition level (p=0.047). The demands on dressage riders competing at higher levels may predispose these riders to a higher risk of developing asymmetry and potentially chronic back pain rather than improving their symmetry. PMID:25414745

Children and young adolescents with chronic surgical cerebellar lesions show persistent balance control problems during standing when lesions affect the deep cerebellar fastigial and adjacent interposed nuclei. The purpose of this study is to confirm that the same lesion sites are also associated with permanent signs of trunkal ataxia during sitting. A second aim is to demonstrate that examining the postural control of patients while sitting or standing on a foam cushion may constitute a simple clinical exam yielding results commensurate to a more involved dynamic posturography exam. Balance control was assessed in 16 patients after surgery of a benign cerebellar tumor in chronic state and healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects. Using an ultrasound-based kinematic recording system, trunkal and shoulder sway was measured during sitting and standing in different conditions. High-resolution MRI scans were acquired in the cerebellar patients. Voxel-wise statistical lesion symptom mapping was performed to compare lesioned areas between affected and unaffected patients in a given condition using χ² tests. During sitting, 56% of cerebellar patients exhibited trunkal sway outside the range of healthy controls, and 87.5% of cerebellar patients revealed abnormal sway patterns during standing. Abnormalities were most pronounced when visual information was absent, and somatosensory information became unreliable and/or when the base of support along the medio-lateral axis was minimized during tandem stance. Lesion symptom mapping revealed that pathological values in the behavior data were more likely in patients with surgical lesions involving the fastigial nuclei (NF) and adjacent interposed nuclei (NI). In patients with surgery <1-year lesions of the inferior cerebellar vermis also had an impact on balance function. Our results corroborate previous evidence that the extent of permanent damage to the deep cerebellar nuclei greatly impacts on the recovery on balance

Motion sickness (MS) usually occurs for a narrow band of frequencies of the imposed oscillation. It happens that this frequency band is close to that which are spontaneously produced by postural sway during natural stance. This study examined the relationship between reported susceptibility to motion sickness and postural control. The hypothesis is that the level of MS can be inferred from the shape of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) profile of spontaneous sway, as measured by the displacement of the center of mass during stationary, upright stance. In Experiment 1, postural fluctuations while standing quietly were related to MS history for inertial motion. In Experiment 2, postural stability measures registered before the onset of a visual roll movement were related to MS symptoms following the visual stimulation. Study of spectral characteristics in postural control showed differences in the distribution of energy along the power spectrum of the antero-posterior sway signal. Participants with MS history provoked by exposure to inertial motion showed a stronger contribution of the high frequency components of the sway signal. When MS was visually triggered, sick participants showed more postural sway in the low frequency range. The results suggest that subject-specific PSD details may be a predictor of the MS level. Furthermore, the analysis of the sway frequency spectrum provided insight into the intersubject differences in the use of postural control subsystems. The relationship observed between MS susceptibility and spontaneous posture is discussed in terms of postural sensory weighting and in relation to the nature of the provocative stimulus. PMID:26657203

Motion sickness (MS) usually occurs for a narrow band of frequencies of the imposed oscillation. It happens that this frequency band is close to that which are spontaneously produced by postural sway during natural stance. This study examined the relationship between reported susceptibility to motion sickness and postural control. The hypothesis is that the level of MS can be inferred from the shape of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) profile of spontaneous sway, as measured by the displacement of the center of mass during stationary, upright stance. In Experiment 1, postural fluctuations while standing quietly were related to MS history for inertial motion. In Experiment 2, postural stability measures registered before the onset of a visual roll movement were related to MS symptoms following the visual stimulation. Study of spectral characteristics in postural control showed differences in the distribution of energy along the power spectrum of the antero-posterior sway signal. Participants with MS history provoked by exposure to inertial motion showed a stronger contribution of the high frequency components of the sway signal. When MS was visually triggered, sick participants showed more postural sway in the low frequency range. The results suggest that subject-specific PSD details may be a predictor of the MS level. Furthermore, the analysis of the sway frequency spectrum provided insight into the intersubject differences in the use of postural control subsystems. The relationship observed between MS susceptibility and spontaneous posture is discussed in terms of postural sensory weighting and in relation to the nature of the provocative stimulus. PMID:26657203

Key posture design is commonly needed in computer animation. This paper presents an automatic and interactive whole body posture designing technique by combining the PIK (prioritized inverse kinematics) with the proposed parametric human posture splicing technique. The key feature of PIK is that the user can design a posture by adding high level constraints with different priorities. However, the PIK is essentially a numerical IK algorithm which relies on the iterative optimization starting from a good enough initial posture to get the final result. To speed up the running efficiency and ensure the lifelikeness of the final posture, the parametric posture splicing technique is proposed to generate the initial guess of the PIK. According to the set of the high level constraints, the whole body is divided into some partial parts, whose postures are then generated by the parametric posture synthesis from a single posture database. Then an initial posture guess with some main characteristics of the finally acceptable posture can be generated approximately by splicing these partial body postures together. Starting from this initial guess and with all constraints considered at different priority levels, the PIK can be initialized with a bias defined by this particularly initial guess and iterated step by step to get a final posture. The total process of the whole body posture generation is automatic and interactive. The experimental results show that this combination method can not only improve the computation efficiency of the PIK but also can simultaneously ensure the naturalness of the final posture.

A numerical model of the cardiovascular system was used to quantify the influences on cardiac function of intrathoracic pressure and intravascular and intraventricular hydrostatic pressure, which are fundamental biomechanical stimuli for orthostatic response. The model included a detailed arterial circulation with lumped parameter models of the atria, ventricles, pulmonary circulation, and venous circulation. The venous circulation was divided into cranial, central, and caudal regions with nonlinear compliance. Changes in intrathoracic pressure and the effects of hydrostatic pressure were simulated in supine, launch, sitting, and standingpostures for 0, 1, and 1.8 G. Increasing intrathoracic pressure experienced with increasing gravity caused 12% and 14% decreases in cardiac output for 1 and 1.8 G supine, respectively, compared to 0 G. Similar results were obtained for launch posture, in which the effects of changing intrathoracic pressure dominated those of hydrostatic pressure. Compared to 0 G, cardiac output decreased 0.9% for 1 G launch and 15% for 1.8 G launch. In sitting and standing, the position of the heart above the hydrostatic indifference level caused the effects of changing hydrostatic pressure to dominate those of intrathoracic pressure. Compared to 0 G, cardiac output decreased 13% for 1 G sitting and 23% for 1.8 G sitting, and decreased 17% for 1 G standing and 31% for 1.8 G standing. For a posture change from supine to standing in 1 G, cardiac output decreased, consistent with the trend necessary to explain orthostatic intolerance in some astronauts during postflight stand tests. Simulated lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in 0 G reduced cardiac output and mean aortic pressure similar to I G standing, suggesting that LBNP provides at least some cardiovascular stimuli that may be useful in preventing postflight orthostatic intolerance. A unifying concept, consistent with the Frank-Starling mechanism of the heart, was that cardiac output was

It is generally accepted that human bipedal upright stance is achieved by feedback mechanisms that generate an appropriate corrective torque based on body-sway motion detected primarily by visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Because orientation information from the various senses is not always available (eyes closed) or accurate (compliant support surface), the postural control system must somehow adjust to maintain stance in a wide variety of environmental conditions. This is the sensorimotor integration problem that we investigated by evoking anterior-posterior (AP) body sway using pseudorandom rotation of the visual surround and/or support surface (amplitudes 0.5-8 degrees ) in both normal subjects and subjects with severe bilateral vestibular loss (VL). AP rotation of body center-of-mass (COM) was measured in response to six conditions offering different combinations of available sensory information. Stimulus-response data were analyzed using spectral analysis to compute transfer functions and coherence functions over a frequency range from 0.017 to 2.23 Hz. Stimulus-response data were quite linear for any given condition and amplitude. However, overall behavior in normal subjects was nonlinear because gain decreased and phase functions sometimes changed with increasing stimulus amplitude. "Sensory channel reweighting" could account for this nonlinear behavior with subjects showing increasing reliance on vestibular cues as stimulus amplitudes increased. VL subjects could not perform this reweighting, and their stimulus-response behavior remained quite linear. Transfer function curve fits based on a simple feedback control model provided estimates of postural stiffness, damping, and feedback time delay. There were only small changes in these parameters with increasing visual stimulus amplitude. However, stiffness increased as much as 60% with increasing support surface amplitude. To maintain postural stability and avoid resonant behavior, an

Studied voluntary and reflexive mechanisms of postural control of young (N=8) and elderly (N=8) adults through measurement of reflexive reactions to large-fast and small-slow ankle rotation postural disturbances. Found reflexive mechanisms relatively intact for both groups although elderly appeared more disadvantaged when posture was under the…

The dorsal-side-up body posture of standing quadrupeds is maintained by coordinated activity of all limbs. Somatosensory input from the limbs evokes postural responses when the supporting surface is perturbed. The aim of this study was to reveal the contribution of sensory inputs from individual limbs to the posture-related modulation of pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) arising in the primary motor cortex. We recorded the activity of PTNs from the limb representation of motor cortex in the cat maintaining balance on a platform periodically tilted in the frontal plane. Each PTN was recorded during standing on four limbs, and when two or three limbs were lifted from the platform and thus did not signal its displacement to motor cortex. By comparing PTN responses to tilts in different tests we found that the amplitude and the phase of the response in the majority of them were determined primarily by the sensory input from the corresponding contralateral limb. In a portion of PTNs, this input originated from afferents of the peripheral receptive field. Sensory input from the ipsilateral limb, as well as input from limbs of the other girdle made a much smaller contribution to the PTN modulation. These results show that, during postural activity, a key role of PTNs is the feedback control of the corresponding contralateral limb and, to a lesser extent, the coordination of posture within a girdle and between the two girdles. PMID:17974591

We exposed standing men and women to motion relative to the illuminated environment in a moving room. During room motion, we measured the kinematics of standing body sway. Participants were instructed to discontinue immediately if they experienced any symptoms of motion sickness, however mild. For this reason, our analysis of body sway included only movement before the onset of motion sickness. We analyzed the spatial magnitude of postural sway in terms of the positional variability and mean velocity of the center of pressure. We analyzed the multifractality of postural sway in terms of the width of the multifractal spectrum and the degree of multiplicativity of center of pressure positions. Results revealed that postural sway differed between participants who later reported motion sickness and those who did not, replicating previous effects. In a novel effect, postural responses to motion of the illuminated environment differed between women and men. In addition, we identified statistically significant interactions that involved both Sex and motion sickness status. Effects were observed separately in the spatial magnitude and multifractality of sway. The results were consistent with the postural instability theory of motion sickness (Riccio and Stoffregen in Ecol Psychol 3:195-240, 1991) and suggest that Sex differences in motion sickness may be related to Sex differences in the control and stabilization of bodily activity. PMID:27236456

The application of subthreshold mechanical vibrations with random frequencies (white mechanical noise) to ankle muscle tendons is known to increase muscle proprioceptive information and to improve the detection of ankle movements. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of this mechanical noise on postural control, its possible modulation according to the sensory strategies used for postural control, and the consequences of increasing postural difficulty. The upright stance of 20 healthy young participants tested with their eyes closed was analyzed during the application of four different levels of noise and compared to that in the absence of noise (control) in three conditions: static, static on foam, and dynamic (sinusoidal translation). The quiet standing condition was conducted with the eyes open and closed to determine the subjects' visual dependency to maintain postural stability. Postural performance was assessed using posturographic and motion analysis evaluations. The results in the static condition showed that the spectral power density of body sway significantly decreased with an optimal level of noise and that the higher the spectral power density without noise, the greater the noise effect, irrespective of visual dependency. Finally, noise application was ineffective in the foam and dynamic conditions. We conclude that the application of mechanical noise to ankle muscle tendons is a means to improve quiet standing only. These results suggest that mechanical noise stimulation may be more effective in more impaired populations. PMID:27021075

This article describes the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, diagnosis, and management of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a potentially debilitating autonomic disorder that can have many causes and presentations. POTS can be mistaken for panic disorder, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Clinician suspicion for the syndrome is key to prompt patient diagnosis and treatment. PMID:26967958

The dorsal-side-up body posture in standing quadrupeds is maintained by the postural system, which includes spinal and supraspinal mechanisms driven by somatosensory inputs from the limbs. A number of descending tracts can transmit suprasinal commands for postural corrections. The first aim of this study was to understand whether the rubrospinal tract participates in their transmission. We recorded activity of red nucleus neurons (RNNs) in the cat maintaining balance on the periodically tilting platform. Most neurons were identified as rubrospinal ones. It was found that many RNNs were profoundly modulated by tilts, suggesting that they transmit postural commands. The second aim of this study was to examine the contribution of sensory inputs from individual limbs to posture-related RNNs modulation. Each RNN was recorded during standing on all four limbs, as well as when two or three limbs were lifted from the platform and could not signal platform displacements. By comparing RNN responses in different tests, we found that the amplitude and phase of responses in the majority of RNNs were determined primarily by sensory input from the corresponding (fore or hind) contralateral limb, whereas inputs from other limbs made a much smaller contribution to RNNs modulation. These findings suggest that the rubrospinal system is primarily involved in the intra-limb postural coordination, i.e., in the feedback control of the corresponding limb and, to a lesser extent, in the inter-limb coordination. This study provides a new insight into the formation of supraspinal motor commands for postural corrections. PMID:20980611

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is often diagnosed in infancy, but less severe cases of acetabular dysplasia are being detected in young active adults. The purpose of this case report is to present a non-surgical intervention for a 31-year-old female with mild acetabular dysplasia and an anterior acetabular labral tear. The patient presented with right anterior hip and groin pain, and she stood with the trunk swayed posterior to the pelvis (swayback posture). The hip pain was reproduced with the anterior impingement test. During gait, the patient maintained the swayback posture and reported 6/10 hip pain. Following correction of the patient’s posture, the patient’s pain rating was reduced to a 2/10 while walking. The patient was instructed to maintain the improved posture. At the 1 year follow-up, she demonstrated significantly improved posture in standing and walking. She had returned to recreational running and was generally pain-free. The patient demonstrated improvement on self-reported questionnaires for pain, function and activity. These findings suggest that alteration of posture can have an immediate and lasting effect on hip pain in persons with structural abnormality and labral pathology. PMID:25731688

The present study examined the relationships between shooting accuracy and shooters' behavioral performance, i.e., postural balance and gun barrel stability, among novice rifle shooters in intra- and inter-individual levels. Postural balance and rifle stability were assessed in terms of anteroposterior (VEL(AP)) and mediolateral (VEL(ML)) sway velocity of the movement of center of pressure, and horizontal (DEV(H)) and vertical (DEV(V)) deviation of the aiming point. The participants (n=58) performed 30 shots in the standing position at a distance of 10 m from the target. The data showed that shooting accuracy was related to postural balance and rifle stability, but only at the inter-individual level. The correlation coefficients between shooting score and behavioral performance variables ranged from -0.29 to -0.45. The stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the VEL(ML) and the DEV(H) as independent variables accounted for 26% of the variance in the shooting score. The results also suggested that postural balance is related to the shooting accuracy both directly and indirectly through rifle stability. As the role of postural balance appeared to be important in shooting performance, the use of additional balance training programs to improve a shooter's postural skills should be encouraged. PMID:17394480

As fear of falling is related to the increased likelihood of falls, it is important to understand the effects of threat-related factors (fear, anxiety and confidence) on dynamic postural reactions. Previous studies designed to examine threat effects on dynamic postural reactions have methodological limitations and lack a comprehensive analysis of simultaneous kinetic, kinematic and electromyographical recordings. The current study addressed these limitations by examining postural reactions of 26 healthy young adults to unpredictable anterior-posterior support-surface translations (acceleration=0.6m/s(2), constant velocity=0.25m/s, total displacement=0.75m) while standing on a narrow virtual surface at Low (0.4cm) and High (3.2m) virtual heights. Standing at virtual height increased fear and anxiety, and decreased confidence. Prior to perturbations, threat led to increased tonic muscle activity in tibialis anterior, resulting in a higher co-contraction index between lower leg muscles. For backward perturbations, muscle activity in the lower leg and arm, and center of pressure peak displacements, were earlier and larger when standing at virtual height. In addition, arm flexion significantly increased while leg, trunk and center of mass displacements remained unchanged across heights. When controlling for leaning, threat-related factors can influence the neuro-mechanical responses to an unpredictable perturbation, causing specific characteristics of postural reactions to be facilitated in young adults when their balance is threatened. PMID:27264411

Postural control in the sagittal plane was evaluated in 22 patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency and the result was compared to that of a control group of 20 uninjured subjects. Measurement of the body sway was done on a fixed and sway-referenced force plate in both single-limb and two-limb stance, with the eyes open and closed, respectively. Further, an analysis of the postural reactions to perturbations backwards and forwards, respectively, was made in single-limb stance. The results demonstrated statistically significant deficits of the postural control in the patient group compared to the control group, but also within the patient group. There was a significantly higher body sway within the patient group when standing on a stable support surface on the injured limb than standing on the uninjured limb with the eyes open, but no difference with the eyes closed. When standing on a stable support surface, there was a significantly higher body sway in the patient group standing on the injured leg than in the control group, both with eyes open and closed. The patient group also showed a significantly impaired postural control compared to the control group when standing on the uninjured leg with the eyes closed. There was no difference between the groups in the two-limb stance. When standing on the sway-referenced support surface, the patient group had a significantly larger body sway than the control group when the eyes were open, but there was no significant difference between the groups with the eyes closed. The measurement of the postural corrective responses to perturbations backwards and forwards showed that the reaction time measured from the initiation of the force plate translation, and the amplitude of the body sway was significantly greater in the patient group than in the control group. We conclude that patients with a continuing chronic ACL insufficiency several years after injury have an impaired postural control in the antero

Most of the cerebral functions are asymmetrically represented in the two hemispheres. Moreover, dexterity and coordination of the distal segment of the dominant limbs depend on cortico-motor lateralization. In this study, we investigated whether postural control may be also considered a lateralized hemispheric brain function. To this aim, 15 young subjects were tested in standing position by measuring center of pressure (COP) shifts along the anteroposterior axis (COP-Y) during dynamic posturography before and after continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (cTBS) intervention applied to the dominant or non-dominant M1 hand area as well as to the vertex. We show that when subjects were expecting a forward platform translation, the COP-Y was positioned significantly backward or forward after dominant or non-dominant M1 stimulation, respectively. We postulate that cTBS applied on M1 may have disrupted the functional connectivity between intra- and interhemispheric areas implicated in the anticipatory control of postural stability. This study suggests a functional asymmetry between the two homologous primary motor areas, with the dominant hemisphere playing a critical role in the selection of the appropriate postural control strategy. PMID:26952051

Maintaining upright bipedal posture requires a control system that continually adapts to changing environmental conditions, such as different support surfaces. Behavioral changes associated with different support surfaces, such as the predominance of an ankle or hip strategy, is considered to reflect a change in the control strategy. However, tracing such behavioral changes to a specific component in a closed loop control system is challenging. Here we used the joint input–output (JIO) method of closed-loop system identification to identify the musculoskeletal and neural feedback components of the human postural control loop. The goal was to establish changes in the control loop corresponding to behavioral changes observed on different support surfaces. Subjects were simultaneously perturbed by two independent mechanical and two independent sensory perturbations while standing on a normal or short support surface. The results show a dramatic phase reversal between visual input and body kinematics due to the change in surface condition from trunk leads legs to legs lead trunk with increasing frequency of the visual perturbation. Through decomposition of the control loop, we found that behavioral change is not necessarily due to a change in control strategy, but in the case of different support surfaces, is linked to changes in properties of the plant. The JIO method is an important tool to identify the contribution of specific components within a closed loop control system to overall postural behavior and may be useful to devise better treatment of balance disorders. PMID:27013990

Body stability is controlled by the postural system and can be affected by fear and anxiety. Few studies have addressed freezing posture in psychiatric disorders. The purpose of the present study was to assess posturographic behavior in 30 patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and 35 without SAD during presentation of blocks of pictures with different valences. Neutral images consisted of objects taken from a catalog of pictures, negative images were mutilation pictures and anxiogenic images were related to situations regarding SAD fears. While participants were standing on a force platform, similar to a balance, displacement of the center of pressure in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions was measured. We found that the SAD group exhibited a lower sway area and a lower velocity of sway throughout the experiment independent of the visual stimuli, in which the phobic pictures, a stimulus associated with a defense response, were unable to evoke a significantly more rigid posture than the others. We hypothesize that patients with SAD when entering in a situation of exposure, from the moment the pictures are presented, tend to move less than controls, remaining this way until the experiment ends. This discrete body manifestation can provide additional data to the characterization of SAD and its differentiation from other anxiety disorders, especially in situations regarding facing fear. PMID:22086467

Specific activities that require concurrent processing of postural and cognitive tasks may increase the risk for falls in older adults. We investigated whether peripheral receptor sensitivity was associated with postural performance in a dual-task and whether an intervention in form of subthreshold vibration could affect performance. Ten younger (age: 20-35 years) and ten older adults (70-85 years) performed repeated auditory-verbal 1-back tasks while standing quietly on a force platform. Foot sole vibration was randomly added during several trials. Several postural control and performance measures were assessed and statistically analyzed (significance set to α-levels of .05). There were moderate correlations between peripheral sensitivity and several postural performance and control measures (r = .45 to .59). Several postural performance measures differed significantly between older and younger adults (p < 0.05); addition of vibration did not affect outcome measures. Aging affects healthy older adults' performance in dual-tasks, and peripheral sensitivity may be a contributor to the observed differences. A vibration intervention may only be useful when there are more severe impairments of the sensorimotor system. Hence, future research regarding the efficacy of sensorimotor interventions in the form of vibrotactile stimulation should focus on older adults whose balance is significantly affected. PMID:27143967

Specific activities that require concurrent processing of postural and cognitive tasks may increase the risk for falls in older adults. We investigated whether peripheral receptor sensitivity was associated with postural performance in a dual-task and whether an intervention in form of subthreshold vibration could affect performance. Ten younger (age: 20–35 years) and ten older adults (70–85 years) performed repeated auditory-verbal 1-back tasks while standing quietly on a force platform. Foot sole vibration was randomly added during several trials. Several postural control and performance measures were assessed and statistically analyzed (significance set to α-levels of .05). There were moderate correlations between peripheral sensitivity and several postural performance and control measures (r = .45 to .59). Several postural performance measures differed significantly between older and younger adults (p < 0.05); addition of vibration did not affect outcome measures. Aging affects healthy older adults' performance in dual-tasks, and peripheral sensitivity may be a contributor to the observed differences. A vibration intervention may only be useful when there are more severe impairments of the sensorimotor system. Hence, future research regarding the efficacy of sensorimotor interventions in the form of vibrotactile stimulation should focus on older adults whose balance is significantly affected. PMID:27143967

Although rugby is a popular contact sport and the isokinetic muscle torque assessment has recently found widespread application in the field of sports medicine, little research has examined the factors associated with the performance of game-specific skills directly by using the isokinetic-type rugby scrimmaging machine. This study is designed to (a) measure and observe the differences in the maximum individual pushing forward force produced by scrimmaging in different body postures (3 body heights x 2 foot positions) with a self-developed rugby scrimmaging machine and (b) observe the variations in hip, knee, and ankle angles at different body postures and explore the relationship between these angle values and the individual maximum pushing force. Ten national rugby players were invited to participate in the examination. The experimental equipment included a self-developed rugby scrimmaging machine and a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. Our results showed that the foot positions (parallel and nonparallel foot positions) do not affect the maximum pushing force; however, the maximum pushing force was significantly lower in posture I (36% body height) than in posture II (38%) and posture III (40%). The maximum forward force in posture III (40% body height) was also slightly greater than for the scrum in posture II (38% body height). In addition, it was determined that hip, knee, and ankle angles under parallel feet positioning are factors that are closely negatively related in terms of affecting maximum pushing force in scrimmaging. In cross-feet postures, there was a positive correlation between individual forward force and hip angle of the rear leg. From our results, we can conclude that if the player stands in an appropriate starting position at the early stage of scrimmaging, it will benefit the forward force production. PMID:17313278

Gibson (The ecological approach to visual perception, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1979/1986) defined affordances as opportunities for motor behaviors, and highly emphasized the interaction between perception and action. Research on children with developmental coordination disorder commonly reports difficulties in judgments of affordances (perception) and in postural control (action). However, how perception and action are coupled has not been studied yet. The present study sought to evaluate the relationship between control of postural sway and perception of affordances in children at risk for developmental coordination disorder (RDCD) and typically developing children (TDC). We hypothesized that the relationship between perception and action would differ between groups. Participants made a series of judgments about their maximum sitting height (SHmax) while standing with and without wearing 10 cm blocks on feet. Postural sway and the judgment accuracy were recorded. Our findings showed that RDCD swayed more during judgment sessions and made less accurate judgments compared to TDC. In addition, TDC reduced postural sway from inter-judgment to judgment sessions, whereas the postural sway of RDCD remained identical between sessions. Last, while TDC reduced postural sway across judgment trials and revealed a learning effect of the judgments about SHmax in the block condition, RDCD never modulated postural sway and did not learn their SHmax in both non-block and block conditions. Overall, modulation of postural sway differed between groups during judgment sessions and between inter-judgment and judgment sessions, whereby their perceptual judgments about SHmax were differentially influenced. To summarize, this study demonstrated a difference in perception and action coupling between RDCD and TDC. PMID:24671651

Background Several studies bring evidence that action observation elicits contagious responses during social interactions. However automatic imitative tendencies are generally inhibited and it remains unclear in which conditions mere action observation triggers motor behaviours. In this study, we addressed the question of contagious postural responses when observing human imbalance. Methodology/Principal Findings We recorded participants' body sway while they observed a fixation cross (control condition), an upright point-light display of a gymnast balancing on a rope, and the same point-light display presented upside down. Our results showed that, when the upright stimulus was displayed prior to the inverted one, centre of pressure area and antero-posterior path length were significantly greater in the upright condition compared to the control and upside down conditions. Conclusions/Significance These results demonstrate a contagious postural reaction suggesting a partial inefficiency of inhibitory processes. Further, kinematic information was sufficient to trigger this reaction. The difference recorded between the upright and upside down conditions indicates that the contagion effect was dependent on the integration of gravity constraints by body kinematics. Interestingly, the postural response was sensitive to habituation, and seemed to disappear when the observer was previously shown an inverted display. The motor contagion recorded here is consistent with previous work showing vegetative output during observation of an effortful movement and could indicate that lower level control facilitates contagion effects. PMID:21423622

Background Whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise is widely used for training and rehabilitation. However, the optimal posture for training both the upper and lower extremities simultaneously remains to be established. Objectives The objective of this study was to search for an effective posture to conduct vibration from the lower to the upper extremities while performing WBV exercises without any adverse effects. Methods Twelve healthy volunteers (age: 22–34 years) were enrolled in the study. To measure the magnitude of vibration, four accelerometers were attached to the upper arm, back, thigh, and calf of each subject. Vibrations were produced using a WBV platform (Galileo 900) with an amplitude of 4 mm at two frequencies, 15 and 30 Hz. The following three postures were examined: posture A, standingposture with the knees flexed at 30°; posture B, crouching position with no direct contact between the knees and elbows; and posture C, crouching position with direct contact between the knees and elbows. The ratio of the magnitude of vibration at the thigh, back, and upper arm relative to that at the calf was used as an index of vibration conduction. Results Posture B was associated with a greater magnitude of vibration to the calf than posture A at 15 Hz, and postures B and C were associated with greater magnitudes of vibration than posture A at 30 Hz. Posture C was associated with a vibration conduction to the upper arm that was 4.62 times and 8.26 times greater than that for posture A at 15 and 30 Hz, respectively. Conclusion This study revealed that a crouching position on a WBV platform with direct contact between the knees and elbows was effective for conducting vibration from the lower to the upper extremities. PMID:26793008

Postural stability in standing balance results from the mechanics of body dynamics as well as active neural feedback control processes. Even when an animal or human has multiple legs on the ground, active neural regulation of balance is required. When the postural configuration, or stance, changes, such as when the feet are placed further apart, the mechanical stability of the organism changes, but the degree to which this alters the demands on neural feedback control for postural stability is unknown. We developed a robotic system that mimics the neuromechanical postural control system of a cat in response to lateral perturbations. This simple robotic system allows us to study the interactions between various parameters that contribute to postural stability and cannot be independently varied in biological systems. The robot is a 'planar', two-legged device that maintains compliant balance control in a variety of stance widths when subject to perturbations of the support surface, and in this sense reveals principles of lateral balance control that are also applicable to bipeds. Here we demonstrate that independent variations in either stance width or delayed neural feedback gains can have profound and often surprisingly detrimental effects on the postural stability of the system. Moreover, we show through experimentation and analysis that changing stance width alters fundamental mechanical relationships important in standing balance control and requires a coordinated adjustment of delayed feedback control to maintain postural stability. PMID:18441409

We studied the degree of dependence on vision of static postural control among ten male adult ironmen and ten healthy subjects (firemen, control group) who took part in regular physical activity, and the perturbations of equilibrium after prolonged exercise in ironmen. Static postural stability was measured during standing on a single-force platform alternating between eyes open and eyes closed. First, body sway was analysed on a force plate in both groups, and the athletes then took part in an ironman triathlon. The measurement was repeated after the race. The sway in both directions was subjected to spectral analysis. The frequency spectrum of the platform oscillations was calculated by fast Fourier transformation in the intervals 0-0.3, 0.3-1 and 1-3 Hz. The sway path in both directions and the total path were significantly lower in the ironmen than in the control group without vision, and the absence of visual control caused a significant increase in sway in both directions in the control group, but not in the ironmen. The frequency analysis revealed a higher level of stability in the medio-lateral direction with closed eyes. The endurance race caused increases in both the total sway path only with closed eyes, and these changes were significant at higher frequency bands. These results indicate that ironmen are more stable and less dependent on vision for postural control than the control subjects, and the prolonged stimulation of the proprioceptive, vestibular and visual inputs in the endurance race causes a significant disturbance in postural control. PMID:15205962

In the past, limited unsupported standing has been restored in patients with thoracic spinal cord injury through open-loop functional electrical stimulation of paralyzed knee extensor muscles and the support of intact arm musculature. Here an optimal control system for paralyzed ankle muscles was designed that enables the subject to stand without hand support in a sagittal plane. The paraplegic subject was conceptualized as an underactuated double inverted pendulum structure with an active degree of freedom in the upper trunk and a passive degree of freedom in the paralyzed ankle joints. Control system design is based on the minimization of a cost function that estimates the effort of ankle joint muscles via observation of the ground reaction force position, relative to ankle joint axis. Furthermore, such a control system integrates voluntary upper trunk activity and artificial control of ankle joint muscles, resulting in a robust standingposture. Figures are shown for the initial simulation study, followed by disturbance tests on an intact volunteer and several laboratory trials with a paraplegic person. Benefits of the presented methodology are prolonged standing sessions and in the fact that the subject is able to maintain voluntary control over upper body orientation in space, enabling simple functional standing. PMID:15311817

Biofeedback has been shown to minimize body sway during quiet standing. However, limited research has reported the optimal sensitivity parameters of visual biofeedback related to the center of pressure (COP) sway. Accordingly, 19 young adults (6 males; 13 females; aged 21.3 ± 2.5) stood with feet together and performed three visual biofeedback intensities [unmodified biofeedback (UMBF), BF magnified by 5 (BF5), BF magnified by 10 (BF10)], along with control trials with no biofeedback (NBF). The participants were instructed to stand as still as possible while minimizing the movements of the visual target. The findings revealed that UMBF produced significantly greater COP displacement in both the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral directions, as well as greater standard deviation of the COP in the AP direction (p postural sway. However, there were no significant differences on any of the COP measures between BF5 and BF10. This research provides insight with respect to the proper scale on which biofeedback should be given in order to improve postural control (i.e., BF5 or BF10). PMID:26678916

This paper presents a new accelerometer based method for estimating the posture of a subject standing on a dynamic perturbation platform. The induced perturbation is used to study the control mechanisms as well as the balance requirements that regulate the upright standing. These perturbations are translated into different intensity levels of speed and acceleration along longitudinal and lateral directions of motion. In our method, the human posture is modeled by a tridimensional, three-segment inverted pendulum which simultaneously takes into account both the anterior-posterior and medio-lateral strategies of hip and ankle. Four tri-axial accelerometers are used her, one accelerometer is placed on the platform, and the other three are attached to a human subject. Based on the results, the joint angle estimated compare closely to measurements from magnetic encoders placed on an articulated arm joint. The results were also comparable to those found when using a high-end optical motion capture system coupled with advanced biomechanical simulation software. This paper presents the comparisons of our accelerometer-based method with encoder and optical marker based method of the estimated joint angles under different dynamics perturbations. PMID:26338097

Maintaining standingpostural balance is important for walking and handling abilities in patients with cerebral palsy. This study included 23 patients with cerebral palsy (seven with spastic diplegia and 16 with spastic hemiplegia), aged from 7 to 16 years of age. Standingposture balance measurements were performed using an AMTI model OR6-7 force platform with the eyes open and closed. Patients with diplegic cerebral palsy exhibited greater center of pressure displacement areas with the eyes open and greater center of pressure sway in the medial-lateral direction with the eyes open and closed compared with hemiplegic patients. Thus, diplegic patients exhibited weaker postural balance control ability and less standing stability compared with hemiplegic cerebral palsy patients. PMID:25206558

Maintaining standingpostural balance is important for walking and handling abilities in patients with cerebral palsy. This study included 23 patients with cerebral palsy (seven with spastic diplegia and 16 with spastic hemiplegia), aged from 7 to 16 years of age. Standingposture balance measurements were performed using an AMTI model OR6-7 force platform with the eyes open and closed. Patients with diplegic cerebral palsy exhibited greater center of pressure displacement areas with the eyes open and greater center of pressure sway in the medial-lateral direction with the eyes open and closed compared with hemiplegic patients. Thus, diplegic patients exhibited weaker postural balance control ability and less standing stability compared with hemiplegic cerebral palsy patients. PMID:25206558

The four science crewmembers of Spacelab-1 were tested for postural control before and after a 10 day mission in weightlessness. Previous reports have shown changes in astronaut postural behavior following a return to earth's 1-g field. This study was designed to identify changes in EMG latency and amplitudes that might explain the instabilities observed post-flight. Erect posture was tested having the subject stand on a pneumatically driven posture platform which pitched rapidly and unexpectedly about the ankles causing dorsi- and plantarflexion. Electromyographic (EMG) activity from the tibialis anterior and the gastrocnemius-soleus muscles was measured during eyes open and eyes closed trials. The early (pre 500 ms) EMG response characteristics (latency, amplitude) in response to a disturbance in the posture of the subject were apparently unchanged by the 10 days of weightlessness. However, the late (post 500 ms) response showed higher amplitudes than was found pre-flight. General postural control was quantitatively measured pre- and post-flight by a 'sharpened Romberg Rails test'. This test showed decrements in standing stability with eyes closed for several days post-flight.

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is defined by a heart rate increment of 30 beats/min or more within 10 minutes of standing or head-up tilt in the absence of orthostatic hypotension; the standing heart rate is often 120 beats/min or higher. POTS manifests with symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion and excessive sympathoexcitation. The pathophysiology of POTS is heterogeneous and includes impaired sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction, excessive sympathetic drive, volume dysregulation, and deconditioning. POTS is frequently included in the differential diagnosis of chronic unexplained symptoms, such as inappropriate sinus tachycardia, chronic fatigue, chronic dizziness, or unexplained spells in otherwise healthy young individuals. Many patients with POTS also report symptoms not attributable to orthostatic intolerance, including those of functional gastrointestinal or bladder disorders, chronic headache, fibromyalgia, and sleep disturbances. In many of these cases, cognitive and behavioral factors, somatic hypervigilance associated with anxiety, depression, and behavioral amplification contribute to symptom chronicity. The aims of evaluation in patients with POTS are to exclude cardiac causes of inappropriate tachycardia; elucidate, if possible, the most likely pathophysiologic basis of postural intolerance; assess for the presence of treatable autonomic neuropathies; exclude endocrine causes of a hyperadrenergic state; evaluate for cardiovascular deconditioning; and determine the contribution of emotional and behavioral factors to the patient's symptoms. Management of POTS includes avoidance of precipitating factors, volume expansion, physical countermaneuvers, exercise training, pharmacotherapy (fludrocortisone, midodrine, β-blockers, and/or pyridostigmine), and behavioral-cognitive therapy. A literature search of PubMed for articles published from January 1, 1990, to June 15, 2012, was performed using the following terms (or combination of terms): POTS

Anthropological and biomechanical research suggests that the human foot evolved a unique design for propulsion and support. In theory, the arch and toes must play an important role, however, many postural studies tend to focus on the simple hinge action of the ankle joint. To investigate further the role of foot anatomy and sensorimotor control of posture, we quantified the deformation of the foot arch and studied the effects of local perturbations applied to the toes (TOE) or 1st/2nd metatarsals (MT) while standing. In sitting position, loading and lifting a 10-kg weight on the knee respectively lowered and raised the foot arch between 1 and 1.5 mm. Less than 50% of this change could be accounted for by plantar surface skin compression. During quiet standing, the foot arch probe and shin sway revealed a significant correlation, which shows that as the tibia tilts forward, the foot arch flattens and vice versa. During TOE and MT perturbations (a 2- to 6-mm upward shift of an appropriate part of the foot at 2.5 mm/s), electromyogram (EMG) measures of the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius revealed notable changes, and the root-mean-square (RMS) variability of shin sway increased significantly, these increments being greater in the MT condition. The slow return of RMS to baseline level (>30 s) suggested that a very small perturbation changes the surface reference frame, which then takes time to reestablish. These findings show that rather than serving as a rigid base of support, the foot is compliant, in an active state, and sensitive to minute deformations. In conclusion, the architecture and physiology of the foot appear to contribute to the task of bipedal postural control with great sensitivity. PMID:22157121

Many people have memories of being told to "stop slouching" while seated at the piano bench. But the reality is that good piano posture is not as simple as bolting upright on the bench when the teacher barks. According to Eric Sutz, a Chicago-area piano teacher and performer, one should see a natural curve in his/her lower lumbar area and should…

The B-1 test stand, the largest of three test stands used for Space Shuttle Main Engine testing at Stennis Space Center, is a dual position engine stand that was modified for single-engine tests. This structure stands 295 feet tall or 407 feet tall with the crane fully extended.

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of visual stimulus using central and peripheral vision fields on postural control. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects consisted of 40 young adult volunteers (15 males, 25 females) who had been informed of the study purpose and procedure. The subjects were randomly divided into four groups of differing visual stimulus. Each group was given visual intervention in a standing position for 3 minutes. Postural control was evaluated before and after visual intervention. [Results] The results of the functional reach test and body sway test showed significant differences among the four groups. [Conclusion] The two-way peripheral vision-field group showed significantly more body sway after visual intervention than the other three groups. This finding may suggest two-way peripheral vision field is a more effective visual stimulus for training postural control and balance. PMID:27390412

We report a patient with craniovertebral anomaly leading to cervical cord compression who presented with disabling postural hypotension. A 60-year-old electrician presented with progressive weakness of the upper and lower limbs, which had started 7 years previously. He had difficulty in holding urine for the previous year and had blacked out on standing for the past 3 months. He had upper limb wasting and lower limb spasticity, with impaired joint position sense. Autonomic dysfunctions included postural hypotension, absence of sinus arrhythmia, impaired Valsalva ratio, and lack of increase in blood pressure on cold immersion and isometric contraction. Cervical spine radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging revealed atlantoaxial dislocation, Klippel-Feil syndrome and osteophytes, resulting in cord compression at C2-C4. Partial and selective damage to the descending autonomic fibres may be responsible for postural hypotension in this patient. PMID:9370068

[Purpose] This study applied whole body vibration (WBV) at different vibration frequencies to chronic stroke patients and examined its immediate effect on their postural sway. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 14 (5 males, 9 females) stroke patients participated. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two vibration frequency groups (10 Hz and 40 Hz). Right before and after the application of WBV, the subjects performed quiet standing for 30 seconds, and COP parameters (range, total distance, and mean velocity) were analyzed. [Results] The 10 Hz WBV did not affect the postural sway of stroke patients. The 40 Hz WBV increased postural sway in the ML direction. [Conclusion] The results suggest that WBV application to stroke patients in the clinical field may have adverse effects and therefore caution is necessary. PMID:27064678

[Purpose] This study applied whole body vibration (WBV) at different vibration frequencies to chronic stroke patients and examined its immediate effect on their postural sway. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 14 (5 males, 9 females) stroke patients participated. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two vibration frequency groups (10 Hz and 40 Hz). Right before and after the application of WBV, the subjects performed quiet standing for 30 seconds, and COP parameters (range, total distance, and mean velocity) were analyzed. [Results] The 10 Hz WBV did not affect the postural sway of stroke patients. The 40 Hz WBV increased postural sway in the ML direction. [Conclusion] The results suggest that WBV application to stroke patients in the clinical field may have adverse effects and therefore caution is necessary. PMID:27064678

Earlier studies have shown hypnotizability-related postural effects of visual suppression and of leg and neck proprioceptive alteration. This study completes this investigation by demonstrating the postural effects of asymmetric tactile foot stimulation in standing participants with different hypnotizability scores. During this stimulation, body sway changed in medium-to-high more than in low-to-medium hypnotizable participants. Findings support the view that high hypnotizability is associated with higher vulnerability of posture to sensory alteration; together with earlier results, they suggest a role of the cerebellum in the observed hypnotizability-related differences and prompt investigation of cerebral structures and factors potentially responsible for both the cognitive and physiological aspects of hypnotizability. PMID:27267675

This study investigated the postural response of kayakers and rowers to imposed optic flow. The athletes, with experience in unstable water environments, should have a specific postural response to optic flow. 12 male participants with kayaking and rowing experience and 12 with no specific sports experience were asked to stand still with and without room motion. This study varied the amplitude and frequency of room motion and evaluated the trajectory of the center of pressure. The kayaking and rowing group were less influenced by imposed optic flow, and body sway was more closely synchronized to the oscillating room compared to the Non-athlete group. These results suggest that postural adaptation occurs in association with experience in kayaking and rowing. PMID:25650510

Cooperative conversation has been shown to foster interpersonal postural coordination. The authors investigated whether such coordination is mediated by the influence of articulation on postural sway. In Experiment 1, talkers produced words in synchrony or in alternation, as the authors varied speaking rate and word similarity. Greater shared postural activity was found for the faster speaking rate. In Experiment 2, the authors demonstrated that shared postural activity also increases when individuals speak the same words or speak words that have similar stress patterns. However, this increase in shared postural activity is present only when participants' data are compared with those of their partner, who was present during the task, but not when compared with the data of a member of a different pair speaking the same word sequences as those of the original partner. The authors' findings suggest that interpersonal postural coordination observed during conversation is mediated by convergent speaking patterns. PMID:17311488

Postural quality during musical performance affects both musculoskeletal health and the quality of the performance. In this study we examined the posture of 100 students at a Higher Conservatory of Music in Spain. By analysing video tapes and photographs of the students while performing, a panel of experts extracted values of 11 variables reflecting aspects of overall postural quality or the postural quality of various parts of the body. The most common postural defects were identified, together with the situations in which they occur. It is concluded that most students incur in unphysiological postures during performance. It is hoped that use of the results of this study will help correct these errors. PMID:26118530

Human upright posture is maintained by postural movements, which can be quantified by "principal movements" (PMs) obtained through a principal component analysis (PCA) of kinematic marker data. The current study expands the concept of "principal movements" in analogy to Newton's mechanics by defining "principal position" (PP), "principal velocity" (PV), and "principal acceleration" (PA) and demonstrates that a linear combination of PPs and PAs determines the center of pressure (COP) variance in upright standing. Twenty-one subjects equipped with 27-markers distributed over all body segments stood on a force plate while their postural movements were recorded using a standard motion tracking system. A PCA calculated on normalized and weighted posture vectors yielded the PPs and their time derivatives, the PVs and PAs. COP variance explained by the PPs and PAs was obtained through a regression analysis. The first 15 PMs quantified 99.3% of the postural variance and explained 99.60% ± 0.22% (mean ± SD) of the anterior-posterior and 98.82 ± 0.74% of the lateral COP variance in the 21 subjects. Calculation of the PMs thus provides a data-driven definition of variables that simultaneously quantify the state of the postural system (PPs and PVs) and the activity of the neuro-muscular controller (PAs). Since the definition of PPs and PAs is consistent with Newton's mechanics, these variables facilitate studying how mechanical variables, such as the COP motion, are governed by the postural control system. PMID:26768228

OBJECTIVE: To compare the value of Q angle in different positions, in the external and internal rotations of lower limbs. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. We have evaluated 62 volunteers, 32 women and 30 men in the following positions: supine positions with parallel feet, supine with abduction (external rotation of lower limbs), and standing position with parallel feet and with external rotation. All the participants were sedentary and without previous history of acute injury or complaints regarding lower limbs. In order to calculate the Q angle we used computerized biophotogrammetry through ALC image 2.1(r) program. RESULTS: The results of the comparisons showed significant difference between the standing position with feet parallel and orthostatic positions with abductees feet on the left side for both genders (p = 0.000). We also found a significant difference between supine and standing position with abducted feet and with feet parallel on the left side (p = 0.046) in females. CONCLUSION: From these results, we can conclude that there are significant differences in the standing position with abducted feet and parallel to the left leg, and symmetry between the lower limbs independent of rotation of limbs in the supine posture. Level of Evidence II, Diagnostic Studies Investigating a Diagnostic Test. PMID:25538480

differentiation between low activity postures such as sitting and standing. We develop a wearable sensor network that monitors relative proximity using Radio Signal Strength indication (RSSI), and then construct a HMM system for posture identification in the presence of sensing errors. Controlled experiments using human subjects were carried out for evaluating the accuracy of the HMM identified postures compared to a naÃve threshold based mechanism, and its variations over different human subjects. A large spectrum of target human postures, including lie down, sit (straight and reclined), stand, walk, run, sprint and stair climbing, are used for validating the proposed system.

Successful locomotion depends on postural control to establish and maintain appropriate postural orientation of body segments relative to one another and to the environment, and to ensure dynamic stability of the moving body. This paper provides a framework for considering dynamic postural control, highlighting the importance of coordination, consistency, and challenges to postural control posed by various locomotor tasks such as turning and backward walking. The impacts of aging and various movement disorders on postural control are discussed broadly in an effort to provide a general overview of the field and recommendations for assessment of dynamic postural control across different populations in both clinical and research settings. Suggestions for future research on dynamic postural control during locomotion are also provided and include discussion of opportunities afforded by new and developing technologies, the need for long-term monitoring of locomotor performance in everyday activities, gaps in our knowledge of how targeted intervention approaches modify dynamic postural control, and the relative paucity of literature regarding dynamic postural control in movement disorder populations other than Parkinson disease. PMID:24132838

Does the posture of a patient have an effect on the organ and tissue absorbed doses caused by x-ray examinations? This study aims to find the answer to this question, based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of commonly performed x-ray examinations using adult phantoms modelled to represent humans in standing as well as in the supine posture. The recently published FASH (female adult mesh) and MASH (male adult mesh) phantoms have the standingposture. In a first step, both phantoms were updated with respect to their anatomy: glandular tissue was separated from adipose tissue in the breasts, visceral fat was separated from subcutaneous fat, cartilage was segmented in ears, nose and around the thyroid, and the mass of the right lung is now 15% greater than the left lung. The updated versions are called FASH2_sta and MASH2_sta (sta = standing). Taking into account the gravitational effects on organ position and fat distribution, supine versions of the FASH2 and the MASH2 phantoms have been developed in this study and called FASH2_sup and MASH2_sup. MC simulations of external whole-body exposure to monoenergetic photons and partial-body exposure to x-rays have been made with the standing and supine FASH2 and MASH2 phantoms. For external whole-body exposure for AP and PA projection with photon energies above 30 keV, the effective dose did not change by more than 5% when the posture changed from standing to supine or vice versa. Apart from that, the supine posture is quite rare in occupational radiation protection from whole-body exposure. However, in the x-ray diagnosis supine posture is frequently used for patients submitted to examinations. Changes of organ absorbed doses up to 60% were found for simulations of chest and abdomen radiographs if the posture changed from standing to supine or vice versa. A further increase of differences between posture-specific organ and tissue absorbed doses with increasing whole-body mass is to be expected.

Lumbar side bending movements coupled with extension or flexion is a known low back pain (LBP) risk factor in certain groups, for example, athletes participating in sports such as hockey, tennis, gymnastics, rowing and cricket. Previous research has shown that sagittal spinal postures influence the degree of spinal rotation, with less rotation demonstrated at end of range extension and flexion. To date it is unknown whether sagittal spinal postures influence side bending. The aim of this study was to determine whether side bend range of motion (ROM) of the lumbar spine is decreased in end-range flexion and extension postures compared to a neutral spine. Twenty subjects between 18 and 55 years of age [mean age = 22.8 yrs (6.8)] with no history of LBP were recruited for this study. Upper (L1-L3) and lower (L3-L5) lumbar side bend, were measured utilising a 14 camera system (Vicon, Oxford metrics, inc.) in end-range flexion, extension and neutral postures, in both sitting and standing positions. The results revealed no statistically significant difference in upper and lower lumbar side bend ROM in an end-range flexion posture compared to a neutral spinal posture. A reduction was found in the range of upper and lower lumbar side bend ROM in an end-range extended posture (p postures. This ROM reduction was found in sitting and standing. These findings allow clinicians to better interpret combined movements involving side bending of the lumbar spine in clinical and real life settings. PMID:24315299

Autonomic reflexes enable the cardiovascular system to respond to gravitational displacement of blood during changes in posture. Spontaneous oscillations present in the cerebral and systemic circulation of healthy subjects have demonstrated a regulatory role. This study assessed the dynamic responses of the cerebral and systemic circulation upon standing up and the posture dependence of spontaneous oscillations. In ten young healthy volunteers, blood pressure and cerebral haemodynamics were continuously monitored non-invasively using the Portapres and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), respectively. Oscillatory changes in the cerebral NIRS signals and the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) signal have been identified by the fast Fourier analysis. Blood pressure increased during standing and returned to basal level when volunteers sat on a chair. The mean value of cerebral tissue oxygen index (TOI) as measured by NIRS did not demonstrate any significant changes. Oscillatory changes in DBP, oxyhaemoglobin concentration [O2Hb] and TOI showed a significant increase when subjects were standing. Investigation of the low frequency component (approximately 0.1 Hz) of these fluctuations revealed posture dependence associated with activation of autonomic reflexes. Systemic and cerebral changes appeared to preserve adequate blood flow and cerebral perfusion during standing in healthy volunteers. Oscillatory changes in [O2Hb] and TOI, which may be related to the degree of cerebral sympathetic stimulation, are posture dependent in healthy subjects. PMID:15132309

To understand the progression of recovery in postural stability and physical functioning after patients received the minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (MTHA), we monitor the pain level, functional capacity, and postural stability before and after operation within one year. In total of 23 subjects in our study, we found out that MTHA was effective in relieving pain in first 2 weeks and restoring the hip joint integrity, but the postural stability was influenced especially in tandem stand in both anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. The recovery of postural stability and functional capacity in one year duration fluctuated and no consistent improvement tendency was found. We suggested clinicians designing postsurgery rehabilitation program for consistent and progressive long-term recovery of postural stability and fall prevention to optimize surgical results and prevent undesired postoperative consequences. PMID:26583110

Haptic information is critically important in complex sensory-motor tasks such as manipulating objects. Its comparable importance in spatial orientation is only beginning to be recognized. We have shown that postural sway in humans is significantly reduced by lightly touching a stable surface with a fingertip at contact force levels far below those physically necessary to stabilize the body. To investigate further the functional relationship between contact forces at the hand and postural equilibrium, we had subjects stand in the tandem Romberg stance while being allowed physically supportive (force contact) and non-physically supportive (touch contact) amounts of index fingertip force on surfaces with different frictional characteristics. Mean sway amplitude (MSA) was reduced by over 50% with both touch and force contact of the fingertip, compared to standing without fingertip contact. No differences in MSA were observed when touching rough or slippery surfaces. The amplitude of EMG activity in the peroneal muscles and the timing relationships between fingertip forces, body sway and EMG activity suggested that with touch contact of the finger or with force contact on a slippery surface long-loop "reflexes" involving postural muscles were stabilizing sway. With force contact of the fingertip on a rough surface, MSA reduction was achieved primarily through physical support of the body. This pattern of results indicates that light touch contact cues from the fingertip in conjunction with proprioceptive signals about arm configuration are providing information about body sway that can be used to reduce MSA through postural muscle activation.

Postural control is known to depend on sensory and cognitive factors. Little is known about how children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regulate static balance, and to what extent vision and cognition contribute to the regulation of balance in this group. We compared a group of children with mild ASD and a group of age- and gender-matched controls on various postural tasks, standing on a Wii Balance Board. We tested a sensory disturbance (closing the eyes) and a cognitive disturbance (word memorization) on the control of quiet standing. Analysis of center-of-pressure excursions revealed moderate effects of cognitive load, but clear effects of vision. We found a greater destabilizing effect of closing the eyes (greater postural excursions in the medio-lateral direction) for the ASD group than for controls. No group differences were found on word recall and on a standardized balance test (Movement Assessment Battery for Children; M-ABC2). We suggest that the postural effects reflect tighter coupling between vision and motor adjustments in ASD than in controls, which is consistent with recent suggestions of greater reliance on vision in this group. PMID:26028526

Impairments in balance control are inevitable following exposure to microgravity. However, the role of particular sensory system in postural disorders at different stages of the exposure to microgravity still remains unknown. We used a method called Dry Immersion (DI), as a ground-based model of microgravity, to elucidate the effects of 6-h of load-related afferent inputs on kinematic characteristics of postural corrective responses evoked by pushes to the chest of different intensities during upright standing. The structure of postural corrective responses was altered following exposure to DI, which was manifested by: (1) an increase of the ankle and knee flexion during perturbations of medium intensity, (2) the lack of the compensatory hip extension, as well as diminished knee and ankle flexion with a further increase of the perturbation intensity to submaximal level. We suggest that the lack of weight-bearing increases the reactivity of the balance control system, whereas the ability to scale the responses proportionally to the perturbation intensity decreases. Disrupted neuromuscular coordination of postural corrective responses following DI can be attributed to adaptive neural modifications on the spinal and cortical levels. The present study provides evidence that even a short-term lack of load-related afferent inputs alters kinematic patterns of postural corrective responses, and can result in decreased balance control. Because vestibular input is not primarily affected during the DI exposure, our results indicate that activity and the state of the load-related afferents play critical roles in balance control following real or simulated microgravity.

The influence of posture and re-positioning (sway and breathing) on the accuracy of a torso imaging system for assessing scoliosis was evaluated. The system comprised of a rotating positioning platform and one or two laser digitizers. It required four partial-scans taken at 90 ° intervals over 10 seconds to generate two complete torso scans. Its accuracy was previously determined to be 1.1+/-0.9mm. Ten evenly spaced cross-sections obtained from forty scans of five volunteers in four postures (free-standing, holding side supports, holding front supports and with their hands on their shoulders) were used to assess the variability due to posture. Twenty cross-sections from twenty scans of two volunteers holding side supports were used to assess the variability due to positioning. The variability due to posture was less than 4mm at each cross-section for all volunteers. Variability due to sway ranged from 0-3.5mm while that due to breathing ranged from 0-3mm for both volunteers. Holding side supports was the best posture. Taking the four shots within 10 seconds was optimal. As major torso features that are indicative of scoliosis are larger than 4mm in size, the system could be used in obtaining complete torso images used in assessing and managing scoliosis.

Objective Motor abnormalities, including impaired balance and increased postural sway, are commonly reported in children with ADHD, but have yet to be investigated in adults with ADHD. Furthermore, although these abnormalities are thought to stem from cerebellar deficits, evidence for an association between the cerebellum and these motor deficits has yet to be provided for either adults or children with ADHD. Method In this study, we measured postural sway in adults with ADHD and controls, examining the relationship between sway and regional cerebellar gray matter volume. Thirty-two ADHD and 28 control participants completed various standing-posture tasks on a Wii balance board. Results Postural sway was significantly higher for the ADHD group compared to the healthy controls. Higher sway was positively associated with regional gray matter volume in the right posterior cerebellum (lobule VIII/IX). Conclusion These findings show that sway abnormalities commonly reported in children with ADHD are also present in adults, and for the first time show a relationship between postural control atypicalities and the cerebellum in this group. Our findings extend the literature on motor abnormalities in ADHD and contribute to our knowledge of their neural substrate. PMID:26106567

According to the osteopathic and chiropractic concepts, facing a TMJ problem, the practitioner has to determine if the trouble observed in the stomatognatic apparatus is the cause or the effect of the structural problems present anywhere else in the body. The postural examination allows to answer this question. Tow techniques can be used. First a static and dynamic posture test proposed by Bricot. The level of the cranium, the eyes, the shoulders, the wrists, the pelvis and the ankles is analysed, from a front view; from the side, the gravity line is inspected: vertex, auditory meatus, shoulder, hip joint, anterior side of the tibia, ankle joint. The vertical posture can be studied from the front: the arms are held straight and the antero-posterior length between the fingers is measured. From the back, one notes the recoil of the buttocks on one side. An ocular convergence test is performed. Then one uses a Romberg test (oscillation of the body when the eyes are closed), and a Fukuda stepping test. The patient is then asked to bite on a compress, and the same exams are redone. If no change occurs, we are dealing with an ascending problem: the origin of the problem is not the stomatognathic system. The second technique is the Meerssemann test that needs the practice of Applied Kinesiology muscle testing. The patient is lying supine and one tests: the dental occlusion, the two TMJs, the temporal muscles, masseters, pterygoids, sterno-cleido-mastoids, upper tapezius, left and right sacro-iliac joints, psoas muscles bilaterally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:2636023

Chronic slow breathing has been reported to improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in patients with cardiovascular disorders. However, it is not clear regarding its acute effects on HRV responses on autonomic analysis. We evaluated the acute effects of slow breathing on cardiac autonomic responses to postural change manoeuvre (PCM). The study was conducted on 21 healthy male students aged between 18 and 35 years old. In the control protocol, the volunteer remained at rest seated for 15 min under spontaneous breathing and quickly stood up within 3 s and remained standing for 15 min. In the slow breathing protocol, the volunteer remained at rest seated for 10 min under spontaneous breath, then performed slow breathing for 5 min and rapidly stood up within 3 s and remained standing for 15 min. Slow breathing intensified cardiac autonomic responses to postural maneuver. PMID:27157952

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between proactive and reactive components of postural control. We contrasted the kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) responses to multidirectional voluntary leg lifts with those elicited by unexpected surface tilts. In particular, we addressed the role of trunk stabilization following either a voluntary or forced weight shift from double to single limb support. Nine young female subjects stood with a standingposture of 45 degrees toe-out and their arms abducted to shoulder level. On the experimenter's signal, subjects either (1) lifted one leg as fast as possible in one of six directions (R/L side, R/L diagonal front, R/L diagonal back) to a height of 45 degrees or (2) maintained standing as the support surface tilted at a rate of 53 degrees /s to a height of 10 degrees in one of six directions (R/L-up, R/L diagonal toes-up, R/L diagonal toes-down). For both tasks, our results showed that the center of pressure (COP) displacement began before or in conjunction with displacement of the center of mass (COM), after which the COP oscillated about the horizontal projection of the COM. In addition, the muscles were recruited in a distal-to-proximal sequence, either in anticipation of the voluntary leg lift or in response to the sudden surface tilt. Thus, the COP was being used dynamically to control displacement of the COM. The axial postural strategy comprising head, trunk, and pelvis movements was quantified by means of principal component analysis. More than 95% of the variance in the data could be described by the first two eigenvectors, which revealed specific coordination patterns dominated by pelvis rotation in one direction and head/trunk rotation in the opposite direction. Unexpected surface tilting elicited an automatic response strategy that focused on controlling the orientation of the head and trunk with respect to the vertical gravity vector while trunk verticality was compromised for

Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common hereditary neuromuscular disorder. CMT1 is primarily demyelinating, CMT2 is primarily axonal, and CMTX1 is characterized by both axonal and demyelinating abnormalities. We investigated the role of somatosensory and muscular deficits on quiet standing and postural stabilization in patients affected by different forms of CMT, comparing their performances with those of healthy subjects. Seventy-six CMT subjects (CMT1A, CMT2 and CMTX1) and 41 healthy controls were evaluated during a sit-to-stand transition and the subsequent quiet upright posture by means of a dynamometric platform. All CMT patients showed altered balance and postural stabilization compared to controls. Multivariate analysis showed that in CMT patients worsening of postural stabilization was related to vibration sense deficit and to dorsi-flexor's weakness, while quiet standing instability was related to the reduction of pinprick sensibility and to plantar-flexor's weakness. Our results show that specific sensory and muscular deficits play different roles in balance impairment of CMT patients, both during postural stabilization and in static posture. An accurate evaluation of residual sensory and muscular functions is therefore necessary to plan for the appropriate balance rehabilitation treatment for each patient, besides the CMT type. PMID:26028275

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common hereditary neuromuscular disorder. CMT1 is primarily demyelinating, CMT2 is primarily axonal, and CMTX1 is characterized by both axonal and demyelinating abnormalities. We investigated the role of somatosensory and muscular deficits on quiet standing and postural stabilization in patients affected by different forms of CMT, comparing their performances with those of healthy subjects. Seventy-six CMT subjects (CMT1A, CMT2 and CMTX1) and 41 healthy controls were evaluated during a sit-to-stand transition and the subsequent quiet upright posture by means of a dynamometric platform. All CMT patients showed altered balance and postural stabilization compared to controls. Multivariate analysis showed that in CMT patients worsening of postural stabilization was related to vibration sense deficit and to dorsi-flexor's weakness, while quiet standing instability was related to the reduction of pinprick sensibility and to plantar-flexor's weakness. Our results show that specific sensory and muscular deficits play different roles in balance impairment of CMT patients, both during postural stabilization and in static posture. An accurate evaluation of residual sensory and muscular functions is therefore necessary to plan for the appropriate balance rehabilitation treatment for each patient, besides the CMT type. PMID:26028275

Investigated the relationship between hand writing posture and cerebral dominance of 48 left handed writers and 25 right handed writers. Determined that cerebral dominance is related to handedness and to whether or not the writing hand posture is normal or inverted. (SL)

Cooperative conversation has been shown to foster interpersonal postural coordination. The authors investigated whether such coordination is mediated by the influence of articulation on postural sway. In Experiment 1, talkers produced words in synchrony or in alternation, as the authors varied speaking rate and word similarity. Greater shared…

Postural control may be an ideal physiological motor task for elucidating general questions about the organization, diversity, flexibility, and variability of biological motor behaviors using nonlinear dynamical analysis techniques. Rather than presenting "problems" to the nervous system, the redundancy of biological systems and variability in their behaviors may actually be exploited to allow for the flexible achievement of multiple and concurrent task-level goals associated with movement. Such variability may reflect the constant "tuning" of neuromechanical elements and their interactions for movement control. The problem faced by researchers is that there is no one-to-one mapping between the task goal and the coordination of the underlying elements. We review recent and ongoing research in postural control with the goal of identifying common mechanisms underlying variability in postural control, coordination of multiple postural strategies, and transitions between them. We present a delayed-feedback model used to characterize the variability observed in muscle coordination patterns during postural responses to perturbation. We emphasize the significance of delays in physiological postural systems, requiring the modulation and coordination of both the instantaneous, "passive" response to perturbations as well as the delayed, "active" responses to perturbations. The challenge for future research lies in understanding the mechanisms and principles underlying neuromechanical tuning of and transitions between the diversity of postural behaviors. Here we describe some of our recent and ongoing studies aimed at understanding variability in postural control using physical robotic systems, human experiments, dimensional analysis, and computational models that could be enhanced from a nonlinear dynamics approach.

In this article, a new technique for correcting poor posture is presented. Rather than intentionally increasing awareness or mobilizing willpower to correct posture, this approach offers a game using randomly drawn cards with easy daily assignments. A case using the technique is presented to emphasize the subjective experience of living with poor…

Study aim: To assess body posture of young female volleyball players in relation to their untrained mates. Material and methods: A group of 42 volleyball players and another of 43 untrained girls, all aged 13-16 years were studied with respect to their body posture indices by using computer posturography. Spinal angles and curvatures were…

Standing on a foam surface is believed to exaggerate balance deficits by decreasing the reliability of somatosensory information from cutaneous mechanoreceptors on the plantar soles (i.e. base of feet) and by altering the effectiveness of ankle torque. The aim was to further document the nature of foam posturography testing by comparing between standing on foam and standing with decreased Rapidly Adapting Mechanoreceptive Sensation (RAMS). Sixteen healthy adults (mean age 20.8 years) were tested with posturography, standing with eyes open and closed on a solid surface and on foam, with and without decreased plantar RAMS. Standing balance was measured as torque variance and further analyzed by being divided into three spectral categories. Plantar cutaneous hypothermic anesthesia by ice-cooling was used to decrease RAMS. Plantar mechanoreceptive sensation was precisely determined with tactile sensitivity and vibration perception tests. Vibration perception was significantly decreased by hypothermic anesthesia, but tactile sensitivity was not. The anterior-posterior torque variance was significantly larger for frequencies less than 0.1 Hz under eyes closed conditions when standing on a solid surface with decreased RAMS compared to normal sensation. No effect of decreased RAMS was seen with eyes open on a solid surface, nor on foam with eyes open or closed. Decreased RAMS produced body sway responses on a solid surface that were different in spectral composition, amplitude, direction and that responded differently to vision compared with standing on foam. Hence, this study showed that RAMS contributes to postural control but reduction in RAMS does not produce a similar challenge as standing on foam. PMID:21120458

Background. The aim of this study was to attempt the implementation of the method of mathematical modelling for motor properties estimation in children with idiopathic scoliosis on the process of keeping the balance in a standing position in the presence of mild disturbances. Material and methods. 42 children with idiopathic scoliosis (13-18 yr) and 40 healthy children were included into the study. Stabilography method was used to estimate body balance and the COP time series were recorded for subsequent analysis. Motor parameters of the evaluated individuals were determined based on the coefficient values of equation assessed through mathematics model. Results. The analysis of obtained calculated results showed that there are significant differences in meandered reaction induced by balance disturbation in a standingposture in evaluated patients. In scoliosis group there was a bigger loss of balance than in healthy children.The speed of loosing of balance after its deviation was slower and was dependent on the magnitude of the curvature angle. The bigger the angle values of the curvature the slower is the process of balance loss and at a lower speed and acceleration. And the time required for regaining the posture is prolonged. Conclusions. Standingposture of children with lateral curvature of the spine is more susceptible to balance disturbances and is characterised by worse stability. The reaction of nervous system to balance disturbances in scoliosis is visibly delayed and is characterised by lower impulsiveness. PMID:17592411

The purpose of the present study is to analyze trunk-lower extremity muscle activities and trunk postural changes during the carriage of different backpacks. Nineteen male university students (21+/-3 years) participated in the experiment's four standing modes: (1) unloaded standing, (2) 10% body weight (BW) load (in the form of a backpack), (3) 15% BW load and (4) 20% BW load. Bilateral rectus abdominis, erector spinae, vastus medialis and biceps femoris muscle activities were recorded using surface electromyography (SEMG), while trunk inclination, side flexion and rotation were measured by using VICON 250 during all standing modes. The results showed that rectus abdominis muscle activities increased progressively and disproportionably as the backpack load increased. As for the trunk posture, almost the same backward inclination was adapted even with increasing backpack heaviness. Twenty percent BW backpack causes the most significant muscular and postural changes so it should be avoided. However, it is recommended to study other backpack factors such as frequency of usage, usage time, type of the backpack and age to come up with a complete usage recommendation. PMID:18329270

Human interaction often relies on socio-motor improvisation. Creating unprepared movements during social interaction is not a random process but relies on rules of synchronization. These situations do not only involve people to be coordinated, but also require the adjustment of their posture in order to maintain balance and support movements. The present study investigated posture in such a context. More precisely, we first evaluated the impact of amplitude and complexity of arm movements on posture in solo situation. Then, we assessed the impact of interpersonal coordination on posture using the mirror game in which dyads performed improvised and synchronized movements (i.e., duo situation). Posture was measured through ankle-hip coordination in medio-lateral and antero-posterior directions (ML and AP respectively). Our results revealed the spontaneous emergence of in-phase pattern in ML direction and antiphase pattern in AP direction for solo and duo situations. These two patterns respectively refer to the simultaneous flexion/extension of the ankles and the hips in the same or opposite direction. It suggests different functional roles of postural coordination patterns in each direction, with in-phase supporting task performance in ML (dynamical stability) and antiphase supporting postural control in AP (mechanical stability). Although amplitude of movement did not influence posture, movement complexity disturbed postural stability in both directions. Conversely, interpersonal coordination promoted postural stability in ML but not in AP direction. These results are discussed in terms of the difference in coupling strength between ankle-hip coordination and interpersonal coordination. PMID:27547193

Human interaction often relies on socio-motor improvisation. Creating unprepared movements during social interaction is not a random process but relies on rules of synchronization. These situations do not only involve people to be coordinated, but also require the adjustment of their posture in order to maintain balance and support movements. The present study investigated posture in such a context. More precisely, we first evaluated the impact of amplitude and complexity of arm movements on posture in solo situation. Then, we assessed the impact of interpersonal coordination on posture using the mirror game in which dyads performed improvised and synchronized movements (i.e., duo situation). Posture was measured through ankle-hip coordination in medio-lateral and antero-posterior directions (ML and AP respectively). Our results revealed the spontaneous emergence of in-phase pattern in ML direction and antiphase pattern in AP direction for solo and duo situations. These two patterns respectively refer to the simultaneous flexion/extension of the ankles and the hips in the same or opposite direction. It suggests different functional roles of postural coordination patterns in each direction, with in-phase supporting task performance in ML (dynamical stability) and antiphase supporting postural control in AP (mechanical stability). Although amplitude of movement did not influence posture, movement complexity disturbed postural stability in both directions. Conversely, interpersonal coordination promoted postural stability in ML but not in AP direction. These results are discussed in terms of the difference in coupling strength between ankle-hip coordination and interpersonal coordination. PMID:27547193

The purpose of this investigation was to measure the interface pressure exerted by lower body sports compression garments, in order to assess the effect of garment type, size and posture in athletes. Twelve national-level boxers were fitted with sports compression garments (tights and leggings), each in three different sizes (undersized, recommended size and oversized). Interface pressure was assessed across six landmarks on the lower limb (ranging from medial malleolus to upper thigh) as athletes assumed sitting, standing and supine postures. Sports compression leggings exerted a significantly higher mean pressure than sports compression tights (P < 0.001). Oversized tights applied significantly less pressure than manufacturer-recommended size or undersized tights (P < 0.001), yet no significant differences were apparent between different-sized leggings. Standingposture resulted in significantly higher mean pressure application than a seated posture for both tights and leggings (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Pressure was different across landmarks, with analyses revealing a pressure profile that was neither strictly graduated nor progressive in nature. The pressure applied by sports compression garments is significantly affected by garment type, size and posture assumed by the wearer. PMID:25530213

The present study examined the differential effects of kinesthetic imagery (first person perspective) and visual imagery (third person perspective) on postural sway during quiet standing. Based on an embodied cognition perspective, the authors predicted that kinesthetic imagery would lead to activations in movement-relevant motor systems to a greater degree than visual imagery. This prediction was tested among 30 participants who imagined various motor activities from different visual perspectives while standing on a strain gauge plate. The results showed that kinesthetic imagery of lower body movements, but not of upper body movements, had clear effects on postural parameters (sway path length and frequency contents of sway). Visual imagery, in contrast, had no reliable effects on postural activity. We also found that postural effects were not affected by the vividness of imagery. The results suggest that during kinesthetic motor imagery participants partially simulated (re-activated) the imagined movements, leading to unintentional postural adjustments. These findings are consistent with an embodied cognition perspective on motor imagery. PMID:26421085

This proof-of-concept, double-blind study is designed to determine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the “cost” of performing a secondary cognitive task on gait and postural control in healthy young adults. Twenty adults aged 22±2yrs completed two separate double-blind visits in which gait and postural control were assessed immediately before and after a 20-minute session of either real or sham tDCS (1.5 mA) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Gait speed and stride duration variability, along with standingpostural sway speed and area, were recorded under normal conditions and while simultaneously performing a serial-subtraction cognitive task. Dual task cost was calculated as the percent change in each outcome from normal to dual task conditions. tDCS was well-tolerated by all subjects. Stimulation did not alter gait or postural control under normal conditions. As compared to sham stimulation, real tDCS led to increased gait speed (p=0.006), as well as decreased standingpostural sway speed (p=0.01) and area (p=0.01), when performing serial-subtraction task. Real tDCS also diminished (p<0.01) the dual task cost on each of these outcomes. No effects of tDCS were observed for stride duration variability. A single session of tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improved the ability to adapt one’s gait and postural control to a concurrent cognitive task and reduced the cost normally associated with such dual tasking. These results highlight the involvement of cortical brain networks in gait and posture control, and implicate the modulation of prefrontal cortical excitability as a potential therapeutic intervention. PMID:24443958

This proof-of-concept, double-blind study was designed to determine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the 'cost' of performing a secondary cognitive task on gait and postural control in healthy young adults. Twenty adults aged 22 ± 2 years completed two separate double-blind visits in which gait and postural control were assessed immediately before and after a 20 min session of either real or sham tDCS (1.5 mA) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Gait speed and stride duration variability, along with standingpostural sway speed and area, were recorded under normal conditions and while simultaneously performing a serial-subtraction cognitive task. The dual task cost was calculated as the percent change in each outcome from normal to dual task conditions. tDCS was well tolerated by all subjects. Stimulation did not alter gait or postural control under normal conditions. As compared with sham stimulation, real tDCS led to increased gait speed (P = 0.006), as well as decreased standingpostural sway speed (P = 0.01) and area (P = 0.01), when performing the serial-subtraction task. Real tDCS also diminished (P < 0.01) the dual task cost on each of these outcomes. No effects of tDCS were observed for stride duration variability. A single session of tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improved the ability to adapt gait and postural control to a concurrent cognitive task and reduced the cost normally associated with such dual tasking. These results highlight the involvement of cortical brain networks in gait and postural control, and implicate the modulation of prefrontal cortical excitability as a potential therapeutic intervention. PMID:24443958

Upright stance on a balance board is a skill requiring complex rearrangement of the postural control. Despite the large use of these boards in training the standingposture, a comprehensive analysis of the learning process underlying the control of these devices is lacking. In this paper learning to maintain a stable stance on a multiaxial oscillating board was studied by analyzing performance changes over short and long periods. Healthy participants were asked to keep the board orientation as horizontal as possible for 20 sec, performing two sessions of 8 trials separated by 15-min pause. Memory consolidation was tested one week later. Amplitude and variability of the oscillations around horizontal plane and area and sway path of the board displacement decreased rapidly over the first session. The performance was stable during the second session, and retained after 1 week. A similar behavior was observed in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions for amplitude and variability parameters, with less stable balance in the anterior-posterior direction. Approximate entropy and mean power frequency, assessing temporal dynamics and frequency content of oscillations, changed only in the anterior-posterior direction during the retention test. Overall, the ability to stand on a balance board is rapidly acquired, and retained for long time. The asymmetric stability between anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions replicates a structure observed in other standing stances, suggesting a possible transfer from previous postural experiences. Conversely, changes in the temporal dynamics and the frequency content could be associated with new postural strategies developed later during memory consolidation. PMID:26544694

Postural sway is considered to have two fundamental stochastic components, a slow nonoscillatory component and a faster damped-oscillatory component. The slow component has been shown to account for the majority of sway variance during quiet stance. Postural control is generally viewed as a feedback loop in which sway is detected by sensory systems and appropriate motor commands are generated to stabilize the body's orientation. Whereas the mechanistic source for the damped-oscillatory sway component is most likely feedback control of an inverted pendulum, the underlying basis for the slow component is less clear. We investigated whether the slow process was inside or outside the feedback loop by providing standing subjects with sum-of-sines visual motion. Linear stochastic models were fit to the experimental sway trajectories to determine the stochastic structure of sway as well as the transfer function from visual motion to sway. The results supported a fifth-order stochastic model, consisting of a slow process and two damped-oscillatory components. Importantly, the slow process was determined to be inside the feedback loop. This supports the hypothesis that the slow component is due to errors in state estimation because state estimation is inside the feedback loop rather than a moving reference point or an exploratory process outside the feedback loop. PMID:16192341

This paper describes the design, validation, and application of a dynamic, three-dimensional (3-D) model of the upper extremity for the purpose of estimating postural disturbances generated by movements of the arms. The model consists of two links representing the upper and lower arms, with the shoulder and elbow modeled as gimbal joints to allow three rotational degrees of freedom. With individualized segment inertial parameters based on anthropometric measurements, the model performs inverse dynamic analysis of recorded arm movements to calculate reaction forces and moments acting on the body at the shoulder in three dimensions. The method was validated by comparing the output of the model to estimates obtained from ground reaction loads during stereotypical and free form unilateral movements at various velocities and with different loads carried by human subjects while seated on biomechanical force platforms. The correlation between predicted and measured reaction forces and moments was very good under all conditions and across all subjects, with average rms errors less than 8% of measured peak-to-peak values. The model was then applied to bimanual activities representative of functional movements that would typically be performed while standing at a counter. The resulting estimates were consistent and adequate for the purpose of evaluating postural disturbances caused by upper extremity movements. PMID:11474966

The perception of subjective postural vertical was assessed in normals and patients with peripheral and central vestibular disorders and spasmodic torticollis. The subjects were seated in a motorized gimbal with the head and torso restrained and their eyes closed. The gimbal executed 7-10 cycles of tilt around the vertical at 1.5 degrees/s in either pitch or roll. Subjects indicated when they began to feel upright and again when they began to feel tilted by an analogous 3-position joystick. Normal subjects felt upright within a sector of 5-6 degrees around vertical in pitch and roll. Five patients with absent vestibular function, 25 torticollis patients and 3 patients with acute unilateral peripheral vestibular lesions showed a significant increase of the sector in pitch and roll, but only the latter had a mild directional bias. Two patients with long standing complete unilateral vestibular deficit and 8 patients with up or downbeat nystagmus in the vicinity of upright had abnormally large sectors within which they felt to be upright. The results suggest that vestibular function is important for the accurate perception of the postural vertical and that a directional asymmetry in vestibulo-ocular function or a head tilt does not necessarily correlate with a directional bias of subjective verticality. PMID:8749084

We studied the kinematics and kinetics of human postural responses to "recoverable falls." To induce brief falling we used a Hold and Release (H&R) paradigm. Standing subjects actively resisted a force applied to their sternum. When this force was quickly released they were suddenly off balance. For a brief period, approximately 125 ms, until restoring forces were generated to shift the center of foot pressure in front of the center of mass, the body was in a forward fall acted on by gravity and ground support forces. We were able to describe the whole-body postural behavior following release using a multilink inverted pendulum model in a regime of "small oscillations." A three-segment model incorporating upper body, upper leg, and lower leg, with active stiffness and damping at the joints was fully adequate to fit the kinematic data from all conditions. The significance of our findings is that in situations involving recoverable falls or loss of balance the earliest responses are likely dependent on actively-tuned, reflexive mechanisms yielding stiffness and damping modulation of the joints. We demonstrate that haptic cues from index fingertip contact with a stationary surface lead to a significantly smaller angular displacement of the torso and a more rapid recovery of balance. Our H&R paradigm and associated model provide a quantifiable approach to studying recovery from potential falling in normal and clinical subjects.

1. The response of the diaphragm to the postural perturbation produced by rapid flexion of the shoulder to a visual stimulus was evaluated in standing subjects. Gastric, oesophageal and transdiaphragmatic pressures were measured together with intramuscular and oesophageal recordings of electromyographic activity (EMG) in the diaphragm. To assess the mechanics of contraction of the diaphragm, dynamic changes in the length of the diaphragm were measured with ultrasonography. 2. With rapid flexion of the shoulder in response to a visual stimulus, EMG activity in the costal and crural diaphragm occurred about 20 ms prior to the onset of deltoid EMG. This anticipatory contraction occurred irrespective of the phase of respiration in which arm movement began. The onset of diaphragm EMG coincided with that of transversus abdominis. 3. Gastric and transdiaphragmatic pressures increased in association with the rapid arm flexion by 13.8 +/- 1.9 (mean +/- S.E.M.) and 13.5 +/- 1.8 cmH2O, respectively. The increases occurred 49 +/- 4 ms after the onset of diaphragm EMG, but preceded the onset of movement of the limb by 63 +/- 7 ms. 4. Ultrasonographic measurements revealed that the costal diaphragm shortened and then lengthened progressively during the increase in transdiaphragmatic pressure. 5. This study provides definitive evidence that the human diaphragm is involved in the control of postural stability during sudden voluntary movement of the limbs. Images Figure 1 PMID:9423192

Activities of daily living require both anticipatory and reactive postural adjustments. The influence of stroke on anticipatory and reactive balance behaviors is addressed in this article. Two primary deficits appear to underlie postural instability following stroke. The first deficit type is characterized by a loss of postural muscle recruitment in both lower extremities (not hyperactive stretch reflexes). The second deficit type is related specifically to the lack of limb stabilization on the paretic side of the body. These two categories of deficit might result from the disruption of geocentric and egocentric references for postural stability with cerebrovascular disease. Context-dependent postural responses are either relearned or retained following stroke, but deficits in the sequencing and timing of stabilizing neuromuscular responses appear to be resistant to adaptation. Prior knowledge of an impending balance disturbance improves the initiation of reactive postural adjustments in subjects with stroke but has no effect on the initiation of stabilizing responses associated with voluntary motion. The results suggest that reactive and anticipatory postural adjustments are controlled by different neural mechanisms and may require separate attention in a rehabilitation program. PMID:27620375

Decreased postural stability is observed in most astronauts immediately following spaceflight. Because ataxia may present postflight operational hazards, it is important to determine the incidence of postural instability immediately following landing and the dynamics of recovery of normal postural equilibrium control. It is postulated that postflight postural instability results from in-flight adaptive changes in central nervous system (CNS) processing of sensory information from the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the magnitude and time course of postflight recovery of postural equilibrium control and, hence, readaptation of CNS processing of sensory information. Thirteen crew members from six spaceflight missions were studied pre- and postflight using a modified commercial posturography system. Postural equilibrium control was found to be seriously disrupted immediately following spaceflight in all subjects. Readaptation to the terrestrial environment began immediately upon landing, proceeded rapidly for the first 10-12 hours, and then proceeded much more slowly for the subsequent 2-4 days until preflight stability levels were reachieved. It is concluded that the overall postflight recovery of postural stability follows a predictable time course.

Many vibrational environments also subject the worker to awkward, asymmetric and prolonged postures. This paper reviews the epidemiological, biomechanical and physiological factors involved in working postures which could lead to musculoskeletal problems. Too little or too much sitting leads to low back pain. Sedentary postures, including driving, also lead to a higher risk of a herniated disc. In sitting the pelvis rotates and higher pressures exist in the disk. A backrest inclined to 110° or more and with a lumbar support will reduce the disk pressure. Jobs involving excessive force application will be more apt to cause muscular and ligamentous damage. However, these excessive demands can occur in whole body vibration environments too. Neck, shoulder and arm problems are usually related to posture but can occur in WBV environments. Knee problems, in the standing worker, may be due to a flexed knee posture in an attempt to attenuate vibrations. Excessive postural demands on the neck, shoulder and arm will lead to higher muscle forces and higher joint forces. Recommendations are given to reduce risk of disability.

Human subjects standing in a sinusoidally moving visual environment display postural sway with characteristic dynamical properties. We analyzed the spatiotemporal properties of this sway in an experiment in which the frequency of the visual motion was varied. We found a constant gain near 1, which implies that the sway motion matches the spatial parameters of the visual motion for a large range of frequencies. A linear dynamical model with constant parameters was compared quantitatively with the data. Its failure to describe correctly the spatiotemporal properties of the system led us to consider adaptive and nonlinear models. To differentiate between possible alternative structures we directly fitted nonlinear differential equations to the sway and visual motion trajectories on a trial-by-trial basis. We found that the eigenfrequency of the fitted model adapts strongly to the visual motion frequency. The damping coefficient decreases with increasing frequency. This indicates that the system destabilizes its postural state in the inertial frame. This leads to a faster internal dynamics which is capable of synchronizing posture with fast-moving visual environments. Using an algorithm which allows the identification of essentially nonlinear terms of the dynamics we found small nonlinear contributions. These nonlinearities are not consistent with a limit-cycle dynamics, accounting for the robustness of the amplitude of postural sway against frequency variations. We interpret out results in terms of active generation of postural sway specified by sensory information. We derive also a number of conclusions for a behavior-oriented analysis of the postural system. PMID:8991458

Posture control is based on central integration of multisensory inputs, and on internal representation of body orientation in space. This multisensory feedback regulates posture control and continuously updates the internal model of body's position which in turn forwards motor commands adapted to the environmental context and constraints. The peripheral localization of the vestibular system, close to the cochlea, makes vestibular damage possible following cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Impaired vestibular function in CI patients, if any, may have a strong impact on posture stability. The simple postural task of quiet standing is generally paired with cognitive activity in most day life conditions, leading therefore to competition for attentional resources in dual-tasking, and increased risk of fall particularly in patients with impaired vestibular function. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of postlingual cochlear implantation on posture control in adult deaf patients. Possible impairment of vestibular function was assessed by comparing the postural performance of patients to that of age-matched healthy subjects during a simple postural task performed in static (stable platform) and dynamic (platform in translation) conditions, and during dual-tasking with a visual or auditory memory task. Postural tests were done in eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions, with the CI activated (ON) or not (OFF). Results showed that the postural performance of the CI patients strongly differed from the controls, mainly in the EC condition. The CI patients showed significantly reduced limits of stability and increased postural instability in static conditions. In dynamic conditions, they spent considerably more energy to maintain equilibrium, and their head was stabilized neither in space nor on trunk: they behaved dynamically without vision like an inverted pendulum while the controls showed a whole body rigidification strategy. Hearing (prosthesis on) as well

The study aimed to determine the influence of arm posture and movement on trapezius activity of computer workers, considering the full workday. A second aim was to investigate if work periods perceived as stressful were associated with elevated or more sustained muscle activity pattern. Twenty-six computer workers performing call-center (n=11), help desk (n=7), or secretarial (n=8) work tasks participated. Bilateral trapezius surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity and heart rate was recorded throughout the workday. Simultaneous inclinometer recordings from left thigh and upper arms identified periods with sitting, standing, and walking, as well as arm posture and movement. Perceived work stress and tension were recorded on visual analog scales (VAS) every hour. Trapezius sEMG activity was low in seated posture [group median 1.8 and 0.9% of activity at maximal voluntary contraction (%EMGmax) for dominant and non-dominant side] and was elevated in standing (3.0 and 2.5% EMGmax) and walking (3.9 and 3.4% EMGmax). In seated posture (mean duration 79% of workday) arm movement consistently influenced trapezius activity, accounting for approximately 20% of intra-individual variation in trapezius activity. Arm elevation was on average not associated with trapezius activity when seated; however, considerable individual variation was observed. There was no indication of increase in trapezius activity or more sustained activity pattern, nor in heart rate, in high-stress versus low-stress periods, comparing periods with seated posture for the subjects reporting contrasts of at least two VAS units in stress (n=16) or tension (n=14) score. PMID:17653757

Loss of postural center-of-pressure complexity (COP complexity) has been associated with reduced adaptability that accompanies disease and aging. The aim of this study was to identify if COP complexity is reduced: (1) in those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) compared to controls; (2) when vision is limited compared to remaining intact; and (3) during more demanding postural conditions compared to quiet standing. Additionally, we explored the relationship between the COP complexity and disease severity, fatigue, cutaneous sensation and central motor drive. Twelve women with MS and 12 age-matched controls were tested under quiet standing and postural maximal lean conditions with normal and limited vision. The key dependent variable was the complexity index (CI) of the center of pressure. We observed a lower CI in the MS group compared to controls in both anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions (p's<0.002), during the performance of maximal self-regulated leans (AP: p<0.001; ML: p=0.018), and under limited vision (AP: p=0.001; ML: p=0.006). No group-by-vision interaction (p>0.05) was observed, indicating that limiting vision did not impact COP complexity differently in the two groups. Decreased cutaneous sensitivity was associated with lower CI values in the AP direction among those with MS (r(2)=0.57); all other measures did not exhibit significant relationships. The findings reported here suggest that (1) MS is associated with diminished COP complexity under both normal and challenging postures, and (2) complexity is strongly correlated with cutaneous sensitivity, suggesting the unique contribution of impaired somatosensation on postural control deficits in persons with MS. PMID:26979875

Background: Postural control deficits can impair functional performance in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in daily living activities. Objective: To verify the relationship between standing static postural control and the functional ability level in children with CP. Method: The postural control of 10 children with CP (gross motor function levels I and II) was evaluated during static standing on a force platform for 30 seconds. The analyzed variables were the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) displacement of the center of pressure (CoP) and the area and velocity of the CoP oscillation. The functional abilities were evaluated using the mean Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) scores, which evaluated self-care, mobility and social function in the domains of functional abilities and caregiver assistance. Results: Spearman's correlation test found a relationship between postural control and functional abilities. The results showed a strong negative correlation between the variables of ML displacement of CoP, the area and velocity of the CoP oscillation and the PEDI scores in the self-care and caregiver assistance domains. Additionally, a moderate negative correlation was found between the area of the CoP oscillation and the mobility scores in the caregiver assistance domain. We used a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). Conclusions: We observed that children with cerebral palsy with high CoP oscillation values had lower caregiver assistance scores for activities of daily living (ADL) and consequently higher levels of caregiver dependence. These results demonstrate the repercussions of impairments to the body structure and function in terms of the activity levels of children with CP such that postural control impairments in these children lead to higher requirements for caregiver assistance. PMID:25054383

This research was first proposed in May, 1986, to focus on some of the problems encountered in the analysis of postural responses gathered from crewmembers. The ultimate driving force behind this line of research was the desire to treat, predict, or explain 'Space Adaptation Syndrome' (SAS) and hence circumvent any adverse effects of space motion sickness on crewmember performance. The aim of this project was to develop an easily implemented analysis of the transient responses to platform translation that can be elicited with a protocol designed to force sensorimotor reorganization, utilizing statistically reliable criterion measures. This report will present: (1) a summary of the activity that took place in each of the three funded years of the project; (2) discussion of experimental results and their implications for future research; and (3) a list of presentations and publications resulting from this project.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is one of the most common presentation of orthostatic intolerance. The syndrome is described as a multifactorial affliction. Main symptoms consist of persistent orthostatic tachycardia (heart rate increase at least 30 beats/min, lasting at least 10 min after assumic vertical position) with high noradrenalin serum concentration (measured in stand-up position). Additionally patients with POTS tend to have lover total blood volume. POTS is generally classified into dysatonomia disorders Symptoms in patients affected with POTS are chronic. The syndrome occurs predominantly in young women (approximately 80%). Due to complexity and variable intensity of symptoms POTS can severely impair daily activity and quality of life in otherwise healthy people. The correct diagnosis and identification of potential pathophysiological mechanisms of POTS is necessary before treatment administration. Adequate therapy can significantly reduce symptoms giving the patients a chance for a normal life. PMID:25546918

The present experiment varied cognitive complexity and sensory modality on postural control in young adults. Seventeen participants (23.71±1.99years) were instructed to stand feet together on a force platform while concurrently performing cognitive tasks of varying degrees of difficulty (easy, moderate and difficult). The cognitive tasks were presented both, auditorily and visually. Auditory tasks consisted of counting the occurrence of one or two letters and repeating a string of words. Visual tasks consisted of counting the occurrence of one or two numbers. With increasing cognitive demand, area of 95% confidence ellipse and ML sway variability was significantly reduced. The visual tasks reduced ML sway variability, whereas the auditory tasks increased COP irregularity. We suggest that these findings are primarily due to an increase in sensorimotor integration as a result of a shift in attentional focus. PMID:26796418

Sit-to-stand (STS) movement is widely performed in daily life and an important pre requisite for acquisition of functional abilities. However, STS is a biomechanical demanding task which requires high levels of neuromuscular coordination, muscle strength and postural control. As children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit a series of impairments in…

Measurement of human posture and movement is an important area of research in the bioengineering and rehabilitation fields. Various attempts have been initiated for different clinical application goals, such as diagnosis of pathological posture and movements, assessment of pre- and post-treatment efficacy and comparison of different treatment protocols. Image-based methods for measurements of human posture and movements have been developed, such as the radiography, photogrammetry, optoelectric technique and video analysis. However, it is found that these methods are complicated to set up, time-consuming to operate and could only be applied in laboratory environments. This study introduced a method of using a posture monitoring system in estimating the spinal curvature changes during trunk movements on the sagittal and coronal planes and providing trunk posture monitoring during daily activities. The system consisted of three sensor modules, each with one tri-axial accelerometer and three uni-axial gyroscopes orthogonally aligned, and a digital data acquisition and feedback system. The accuracy of this system was tested with a motion analysis system (Vicon 370) in calibration with experimental setup and in trunk posture measurement with nine human subjects, and the performance of the posture monitoring system during daily activities with two human subjects was reported. The averaged root mean squared differences between the measurements of the system and motion analysis system were found to be <1.5° in dynamic calibration, and <3.1° for the sagittal plane and ≤2.1° for the coronal plane in estimation of the trunk posture change during trunk movements. The measurements of the system and the motion analysis system was highly correlated (>0.999 for dynamic calibration and >0.829 for estimation of spinal curvature change in domain planes of movement during flexion and lateral bending). With the sensing modules located on the upper trunk, mid-trunk and the pelvic

Syncope and near-syncopal symptoms are common events in the adolescent population. Syncope is defined as the transient loss of postural tone and consciousness with spontaneous recovery. Although most syncopal events are benign, they can generate extreme anxiety in the adolescent and his or her family. The reoccurrence of these events can have a…

The objective was to explore how face exploration affects postural control in healthy children. The novelty here is that eye movements and posture were simultaneously recorded. Three groups of children participated in the study: 12 children of 7.8±0.5 years old, 13 children of 10.4±0.5 years old and 12 children of 15.7±0.9 years old. Eye movements were recorded by video-oculography and postural stability was recorded by a platform. Children were invited to explore five emotional faces (neutral, happy, sad fear and angry). Analysis of eye movements was done on saccadic latency, percentage of exploration time spent and number of saccades for each specific region of interest (ROI): eyes, nose and mouth. Analysis of posture was made on surface area, sway length and mean velocity of the center of pressures (CoP). Results showed that visual strategies, exploration and postural control develop during childhood and adolescence. Indeed, after nine years-old, children started to look the eyes ROI firstly, then the nose ROI and finally the mouth ROI. The number of saccades decreased with the age of children. The percentage of exploration time spent in eyes ROI was longer than the others ROIs and greater for unpleasant faces (sad, fear and angry) with respect to pleasant emotional face (happy). We found that in front of sad and happy faces the surface area of the CoP was significantly larger compared to other faces (neutral and angry). These results suggest that visual strategies and postural control change during children's development and can be influenced by the emotional face. PMID:26050875

Automated movements adjusting postural control may be hampered during musculoskeletal pain leaving a risk of incomplete control of balance. This study investigated the effect of experimental muscle pain on anticipatory postural adjustments by reaction task movements. While standing, nine healthy males performed two reaction time tasks (shoulder flexion of dominant side and bilateral heel lift) before, during and after experimental muscle pain. On two different days experimental pain was induced in the m. vastus medialis (VM) or the m. tibialis anterior (TA) of the dominant side by injections of hypertonic saline (1ml, 5.8%). Isotonic saline (1ml, 0.9%) was used as control injection. Electromyography (EMG) was recorded from 13 muscles. EMG onset, EMG amplitude, and kinematic parameters (shoulder and ankle joint) were extracted. During shoulder flexion and VM pain the onset of the ipsilateral biceps femoris was significantly faster than baseline and post injection sessions. During heels lift in the VM and TA pain conditions the onset of the contralateral TA was significantly faster than baseline and post injection sessions in bilateral side. VM pain significantly reduced m. quadriceps femoris activity and TA pain significantly reduced ipsilateral VM activity and TA activity during bilateral heel lift. The EMG reaction time was delayed in bilateral soleus muscles during heels lift with VM and TA pain. The faster onset of postural muscle activity during anticipatory postural adjustments may suggest a compensatory function to maintain postural control whereas the reduced postural muscle activity during APAs may indicate a pain adaptation strategy to avoid secondary damage. PMID:24071550

Food shopping is an important aspect of maintaining independence and social interaction in older age. Carriage of shopping bags alters the body's weight distribution which, depending on load distribution, could potentially increase instability during standing and walking. The study examined the effect of carrying UK style shopping bags on static postural stability and gait in healthy older and young females. Nine older (71.0±6.0 years) and 10 young (26.7±5.2 years) females were assessed in five conditions carrying no bags, one 1.5kg bag in each hand, one 3kg bag in each hand, one 1.5kg bag in preferred hand, one 3kg bag in preferred hand. Antero-posterior and medio-lateral displacement, and 95% ellipse area from a 30s quiet standing were used for postural stability assessment. Stride length and its coefficient of variation, total double support time, step asymmetry and gait stability ratio were calculated from 1min treadmill walking at self-selected speed for gait assessment. Carrying shopping bags did not negatively affect postural stability or gait variables, in either group. Further, in older individuals, a decrease in sway velocity was found when holding bags during the postural stability assessment (p<0.05), suggesting that carriage of bags, irrespective of the load distribution, may have a stabilising effect during quiet standing. These results should help to alleviate concerns regarding safety of carrying shopping bags and help encourage shopping, both as a social and as a physical activity. PMID:27131182

Postural instability represents a main source of disability in Parkinsonian syndromes and its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Indirect probes (i.e., mental imagery) of brain involvement support the role of prefrontal cortex as a key cortical region for postural control in older adults with and without Parkinsonian syndromes. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs) as a direct online cortical probe, this study aimed to compare neural activation patterns in prefrontal cortex, postural stability, and their respective interactions, in (1) patients with Parkinsonian syndromes; (2) those with mild parkinsonian signs; (3) and healthy older adults. Among 269 non-demented older adults (76.41 ± 6.70 years, 56% women), 26 individuals presented with Parkinsonian syndromes (Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS): 11.08 ± 3.60), 117 had mild parkinsonian signs (UPDRS: 3.21 ± 2.49), and 126 individuals were included as a healthy control group. Participants were asked to stand upright and count silently for ten seconds while changes in oxygenated hemoglobin levels over prefrontal cortex were measured using fNIRs. We simultaneously evaluated postural stability with center of pressure velocity data recorded on an instrumented walkway. Compared to healthy controls and patients with mild parkinsonian signs, patients with Parkinsonian syndromes demonstrated significantly higher prefrontal oxygenation levels to maintain postural stability. The pattern of brain activation and postural control of participants with mild parkinsonian signs were similar to that of normal controls. These findings highlight the online role of the prefrontal cortex in postural control in patients with Parkinsonian syndromes and afford the opportunity to improve therapeutic options for postural instability. PMID:26551767

Normal aging results in alterations in the visual, vestibular and somtaosensory systems, which in turn modify the control of balance. Muscle fatigue may exacerbate these age-related changes in sensory and motor functions, and also increase the attentional demands associated with dynamic postural control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on dynamic postural control and posture-related attentional demands before and after a plantar flexor fatigue protocol. Participants (young adults: n = 15; healthy seniors: n = 13) performed a dynamic postural task along the antero-posterior (AP) and the medio-lateral (ML) axes, with and without the addition of a simple reaction time (RT) task. The dynamic postural task consisted in following a moving circle on a computer screen with the representation of the center of pressure (COP). This protocol was repeated before and after a fatigue task where ankle plantar flexor muscles were targeted. The mean COP-target distance and the mean COP velocity were calculated for each trial. Cross-correlation analyses between the COP and target displacements were also performed. RTs were recorded during dual-task trials. Results showed that while young adults adopted an anticipatory control mode to move their COP as close as possible to the target center, seniors adopted a reactive control mode, lagging behind the target center. This resulted in longer COP-target distance and higher COP velocity in the latter group. Concurrently, RT increased more in seniors when switching from static stance to dynamic postural conditions, suggesting potential alterations in the central nervous system (CNS) functions. Finally, plantar flexor muscle fatigue and dual-tasking had only minor effects on dynamic postural control of both young adults and seniors. Future studies should investigate why the fatigue-induced changes in quiet standingpostural control do not seem to transfer to dynamic balance tasks. PMID:26834626

Patients with bilateral vestibular loss have difficulty maintaining balance without stepping when standing in tandem, on compliant surfaces, across narrow beams, or on one foot, especially with eyes closed. Normal individuals (with no sensory impairment) maintain balance in these tasks by employing quick, active hip rotation (a "hip strategy"). The absence of a hip strategy in vestibular patients responding to translations of a short support surface has previously been taken as evidence that the use of hip strategy requires an intact vestibular system. However, many tasks requiring hip strategy alter one or a combination of important system characteristics, such as initial state of the body (tandem stance), dynamics (compliant surfaces), or biomechanical limits of stability (narrow beams). Therefore, the balance deficit in these tasks may result from a failure to account for these support surface alterations when planning and executing sensorimotor responses. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vestibular information is critical to trigger a hip strategy even on an unaltered support surface, which imposes no changes on the system characteristics. We recorded the postural responses of vestibular patients and control subjects with eyes closed to rearward support surface translations of varying velocity, in erect stance on a firm, flat surface. Subjects were instructed to maintain balance without stepping, if possible. Faster translation velocities (25 cm/s or more) produced a consistent pattern of early hip torque (first 400 ms) in control subjects (i.e., a hip strategy). Most of the patients with bilateral vestibular loss responded to the same translation velocities with similar torques. Contrary to our hypothesis, we conclude that vestibular function is not necessary to trigger a hip strategy. We postulate, therefore, that the balance deficit previously observed in vestibular patients during postural tasks that elicit a hip strategy may have been due to

Background Many quadrupedal species stand bipedally on their hindlimbs to fight. This posture may provide a performance advantage by allowing the forelimbs to strike an opponent with the range of motion that is intrinsic to high-speed running, jumping, rapid braking and turning; the range of motion over which peak force and power can be produced. Methodology/Principal Findings To test the hypothesis that bipedal (i.e., orthograde) posture provides a performance advantage when striking with the forelimbs, I measured the force and energy produced when human subjects struck from “quadrupedal” (i.e., pronograde) and bipedal postures. Downward and upward directed striking energy was measured with a custom designed pendulum transducer. Side and forward strikes were measured with a punching bag instrumented with an accelerometer. When subjects struck downward from a bipedal posture the work was 43.70±12.59% (mean ± S.E.) greater than when they struck from a quadrupedal posture. Similarly, 47.49±17.95% more work was produced when subjects struck upward from a bipedal stance compared to a quadrupedal stance. Importantly, subjects did 229.69±44.19% more work in downward than upward directed strikes. During side and forward strikes the force impulses were 30.12±3.68 and 43.04±9.00% greater from a bipedal posture than a quadrupedal posture, respectively. Conclusions/Significance These results indicate that bipedal posture does provide a performance advantage for striking with the forelimbs. The mating systems of great apes are characterized by intense male-male competition in which conflict is resolved through force or the threat of force. Great apes often fight from bipedal posture, striking with both the fore- and hindlimbs. These observations, plus the findings of this study, suggest that sexual selection contributed to the evolution of habitual bipedalism in hominins. PMID:21611167

Infants develop skills through a coupling between their sensory and motor systems. Newborn infants must interpret sensory information and use it to modify movements and organize the postural control system based on the task demands. This paper starts with a brief review of evidence on the use of sensory information in the first months of life, and describes the importance of movement variability and postural control in infancy. This introduction is followed by a review of the evidence for the interactions between the sensory, motor, and postural control systems in typically development infants. The paper highlights the ability of young infants to use sensory information to modify motor behaviors and learn from their experiences. Last, the paper highlights evidence of atypical use of sensory, motor, and postural control in the first months of life in infants who were born preterm, with neonatal brain injury or later diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). PMID:27027603

We investigated the effect of joint immobilization on the postural sway during quiet standing. We hypothesized that the center of pressure (COP), rambling, and trembling trajectories would be affected by joint immobilization. Ten young adults stood on a force plate during 60 s without and with immobilized joints (only knees constrained, CK; knees and hips, CH; and knees, hips, and trunk, CT), with their eyes open (OE) or closed (CE). The root mean square deviation (RMS, the standard deviation from the mean) and mean speed of COP, rambling, and trembling trajectories in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions were analyzed. Similar effects of vision were observed for both directions: larger amplitudes for all variables were observed in the CE condition. In the anterior-posterior direction, postural sway increased only when the knees, hips, and trunk were immobilized. For the medial-lateral direction, the RMS and the mean speed of the COP, rambling, and trembling displacements decreased after immobilization of knees and hips and knees, hips, and trunk. These findings indicate that the single inverted pendulum model is unable to completely explain the processes involved in the control of the quiet upright stance in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. PMID:19342114

We investigated the effect of joint immobilization on the postural sway during quiet standing. We hypothesized that center of pressure (COP), rambling, and trembling trajectories could be affected by joint immobilization. Ten young adults stood on a force plate during 60 s without and with immobilized joints (only knees constrained, CK; knees and hips, CH; and knees, hips and trunk, CT), with their eyes opened (EO) or closed (EC). The root mean square deviation (RMS, the standard deviation from the mean) and mean speed of COP, rambling, and trembling trajectories in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions were analyzed. Similar effects of vision were observed for both directions: larger amplitude for all variables was observed in the EC condition. In the anterior-posterior direction, postural sway increased only when the knees, hips and trunk were immobilized. For the medial-lateral direction, the RMS and the mean speed of the COP, rambling, and trembling displacements decreased after immobilization of knees and hips and knees, hips and trunk. These findings indicate that the inverted pendulum model is unable to completely explain the processes involved in the control of the quiet upright stance in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. PMID:19342114

Changes in neuromuscular activation patterns associated with movements made in microgravity can contribute to muscular atrophy. Using electromyography (EMG) to monitor 'postural' muscles, it was found that free floating arm flexions made in microgravity were not always preceded by neuromuscular activation patterns normally observed during movements made in unit gravity. Additionally, manipulation of foot sensory input during microgravity arm flexion impacted upon anticipatory postural muscle activation.

Patients with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) have excessive orthostatic tachycardia (>30 bpm) when standing from a supine position. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) are known to exhibit diurnal variability, but the role of diurnal variability in orthostatic changes of HR & BP is not known. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that there is diurnal variation of orthostatic HR & BP in patients with POTS and healthy controls. Patients with POTS (n=54) and healthy volunteers (n=26) were admitted to the Clinical Research Center. Supine and standing (5 min) HR & BP were obtained on the evening on the day of admission and in the following morning. Overall, standing HR was significantly higher in the morning than the evening (102±3 bpm [AM] vs. 93±2 bpm [PM]; P<0.001). Standing HR was higher in the morning in both POTS patients (108±4 bpm [AM] vs. 100±3 bpm [PM]; P=0.012) and controls (89±3 bpm [AM] vs. 80±2 bpm [PM]; P=0.005), when analyzed separately. There was no diurnal variability in orthostatic BP in POTS. More subjects met the POTS HR criterion in the morning compared with the evening (P=0.008). There was significant diurnal variability in orthostatic tachycardia, with a great orthostatic tachycardia in the morning compared to the evening in both patients with POTS and healthy subjects. Given the importance of orthostatic tachycardia in diagnosing POTS, this diurnal variability should be considered in the clinic as it may affect the diagnosis of POTS. PMID:21751966

The cardiovascular responses to postural change, and how they are affected by aging, are inadequately described in women. Therefore, the authors examined the influence of age and sex on the responses of blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, and other variables to change in posture. Measurements were made after 10 minutes each in the supine, seated, and standing positions in 22 men and 25 women who ranged in age from 21 to 59 years. Several variables differed, both by sex and by age, when subjects were supine. On rising, subjects' diastolic and mean arterial pressures, heart rate, total peripheral resistance (TPR), and thoracic impedance increased; cardiac output, stroke volume, and mean stroke ejection rate decreased; and changes in all variables, except heart rate, were greater from supine to sitting than sitting to standing. The increase in heart rate was greater in the younger subjects, and increases in TPR and thoracic impedance were greater in the older subjects. Stroke volume decreased less, and TPR and thoracic impedance increased more, in the women than in the men. The increase in TPR was particularly pronounced in the older women. These studies show that the cardiovascular responses to standing differ, in some respects, between the sexes and with age. The authors suggest that the sex differences are, in part, related to greater decrease of thoracic blood volume with standing in women than in men, and that the age differences result, in part, from decreased responsiveness of the high-pressure baroreceptor system.

Stabilogram-diffusion analysis was used to examine how prolonged periods in microgravity affect the open-loop and closed-loop postural control mechanisms. It was hypothesized that following spaceflight: (1) the effective stochastic activity of the open-loop postural control schemes in astronauts is increased; (2) the effective stochastic activity and uncorrelated behavior, respectively, of the closed-loop postural control mechanisms in astronauts are increased; and (3) astronauts utilized open-loop postural controls schemes for shorter time intervals and smaller displacements. Four crew members and two alternates from the 14-day Spacelab Life Sciences 2 Mission were included in the study. Each subject was tested under eyes-open, quiet-standing conditions on multiple preflight and postflight days. The subjects' center-of-pressure trajectories were measured with a force platform and analyzed according to stabilogram-diffusion analysis. It was found that the effective stochastic activity of the open-loop postural control schemes in three of the four crew members was increased following spaceflight. This result is interpreted as an indication that there may be in-flight adaptations to higher-level descending postural control pathways, e.g., a postflight increase in the tonic activation of postural muscles. This change may also be the consequence of a compensatory (e.g., "stiffening") postural control strategy that is adopted by astronauts to account for general feeling of postflight unsteadiness. The crew members, as a group, did not exhibit any consistent preflight/postflight differences in the steady-state behavior of their closed-loop postural control mechanisms or in the functional interaction of their open-loop and closed-loop postural control mechanisms. These results are interpreted as indications that although there may be in-flight adaptations to the vestibular system and/or proprioceptive system, input from the visual system can compensate for such changes

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the coordination between posture and movement in pathological aging (frailty) in comparison with normal aging, with the hypothesis that in pathological aging, postural control evolves towards a more reactive mode for which the perturbation induced by the movement is not anticipated and leads to delayed and late postural adjustments. Methods Elderly subjects performed rapid focal arm-raising movements towards a target, from an upright standing position in two stimuli conditions: simple reaction time and choice reaction time (CRT). Hand and center of pressure (CoP) kinematics were compared between a control group and a frail group of the same age. Results In frail individuals, the entire movement was impaired and slowed down. In addition, postural adjustments that classically precede and accompany the focal arm movement were delayed and reduced, especially in the CRT condition in which the motor prediction is more limited. Finally, a correlation between the time to CoP maximal velocity and the timed up- and-go score was observed. Conclusion In these patients, it was concluded that the control of the CoP displacement evolved from a proactive mode in which the perturbation associated with the arm movement is anticipated toward a more reactive mode in which the perturbation is compensated by late and delayed adjustments. PMID:22423179

Normal subjects performed bilaterally symmetric rapid elbow flexions or extensions ("focal movements") while standing. Specific patterns of electromyographic activity in leg and trunk muscles ("associated postural adjustments") were seen for each type of movement. The biomechanical significance of these postural adjustments was analysed by means of the ground reaction forces and motion of the various body segments. Experimental data were compared with that from a theoretical model of the body consisting of a six segment kinetic chain with rigid links. Distinct patterns of the ground reaction forces with elbow flexion were opposite in direction to those seen with elbow extension. Movements of the various body segments were small and specific for a certain focal movement. Dynamic perturbations arising from the arm movement in an anteroposterior direction were found to be compensated by postural adjustments, whereas vertical perturbations were not compensated. The muscular activity acting about different joints in the different movements was found to correlate with the predictions of activity needed to compensate for net joint reaction moments arising from the focal movement. Motion of the various body segments could be understood as resulting from the interplay of the net reaction moments and the net muscular moments at the different joints. Dynamic postural requirements are accomplished by a precise active compensation initiated before the focal movement. PMID:3346688

The present study investigated whether postural responses are influenced by the stability constraint of a voluntary, manual task. We also examined how task constraint and first experience (the condition with which the participants started the experiment) influence the kinematic strategies used to simultaneously accomplish a postural response and a voluntary task. Twelve healthy, older adults were perturbed during standing, while holding a tray with a cylinder placed with the flat side down (low constraint, LC) or with the rolling, round side down (high constraint, HC). Central set changed according to the task constraint, as shown by a higher magnitude of both the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscle activation bursts in the HC than in the LC condition. This increase in muscle activation was not reflected, however, in changes in the center of pressure or center of mass displacement. Task constraint influenced the peak shoulder flexion for the voluntary tray task but not the peak hip flexion for the postural task. In contrast, first experience influenced the peak hip flexion but not the peak shoulder flexion. These results suggest an interaction between two separate control mechanisms for automatic postural responses and voluntary stabilization tasks. PMID:22965549

This study assessed the effects of stability constraints of a voluntary task on postural responses to an external perturbation in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy elderly participants. Eleven PD subjects and twelve control subjects were perturbed with backward surface translations while standing and performing two versions of a voluntary task: holding a tray with a cylinder placed with the flat side down [low constraint (LC)] or with the rolling, round side down [high constraint (HC)]. Participants performed alternating blocks of LC and HC trials. PD participants accomplished the voluntary task as well as control subjects, showing slower tray velocity in the HC condition compared with the LC condition. However, the latency of postural responses was longer in the HC condition only for control subjects. Control subjects presented different patterns of hip-shoulder coordination as a function of task constraint, whereas PD subjects had a relatively invariant pattern. Initiating the experiment with the HC task led to 1) decreased postural stability in PD subjects only and 2) reduced peak hip flexion in control subjects only. These results suggest that PD impairs the capacity to adapt postural responses to constraints imposed by a voluntary task. PMID:22673326

A planter test stand was developed to evaluate individual row-crop metering units in early 2013. This test stand provided the ability to quantify actual seed metering in terms of population, seed spacing, skips, and multiples over a range of meter RPMs and vacuum pressures. Preliminary data has been...

The majority of existing computational phantoms are designed to represent workers in typical standing anatomical postures with fixed arm and leg positions. However, workers found in accident-related scenarios often assume varied postures. This paper describes the development and application of two phantoms with adjusted postures specified by data acquired from a motion capture system to simulate unique human postures found in a 1999 criticality accident that took place at a JCO facility in Tokai-Mura, Japan. In the course of this accident, two workers were fatally exposed to extremely high levels of radiation. Implementation of the emergent techniques discussed produced more accurate and more detailed dose estimates for the two workers than were reported in previous studies. A total-body dose of 6.43 and 26.38 Gy was estimated for the two workers, who assumed a crouching and a standingposture, respectively. Additionally, organ-specific dose estimates were determined, including a 7.93 Gy dose to the thyroid and 6.11 Gy dose to the stomach for the crouching worker and a 41.71 Gy dose to the liver and a 37.26 Gy dose to the stomach for the standing worker. Implications for the medical prognosis of the workers are discussed, and the results of this study were found to correlate better with the patient outcome than previous estimates, suggesting potential future applications of such methods for improved epidemiological studies involving next-generation computational phantom tools.

[Purpose] To investigate the effects of movement from a postural maintenance position on lumbar hemodynamic changes, in order to prevent lower back pain and develop exercise therapy. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-five healthy adults (mean age: 23.2 years) participated in the study. During flexion-extension exercise, the subjects moved their trunks gradually to a flexed position from an upright posture while sitting and standing, and then returned to and maintained an upright (re-upright) position. In the extension–flexion exercise, the subjects moved their trunks gradually from an upright posture to an extended position, and back while maintaining an upright (re-upright) position. Lumbar spinal muscle activity and hemodynamic changes were evaluated during both exercises. [Results] During the flexion and extension exercises, increased trunk-flexion angle caused increased muscle activity, decreased oxygenated hemoglobin in the multifidus muscle, and increased deoxygenated hemoglobin in the multifidus and lumbar erector spinae muscles. Moreover, the muscle activities were nearly the same in the re-upright and upright positions, and total hemoglobin also increased. [Conclusion] In both standing and sitting positions, holding the trunk in a flexed position causes ischemic hemodynamic changes in the multifidus muscle; however, the hyperemic response when returning the trunk to an extended position may improve circulation. PMID:27390450

During standing balance, kinematics of postural behaviors have been previously observed to change across visual conditions, perturbation amplitudes, or perturbation frequencies. However, experimental limitations only allowed for independent investigation of such parameters. Here, we adapted a pseudorandom ternary sequence (PRTS) perturbation previously used in rotational support-surface perturbations (Peterka 2002) to a translational paradigm, allowing us to concurrently examine the effects of vision, perturbation amplitude, and frequency on balance control. Additionally, the unpredictable PRTS perturbation eliminated effects of feedforward adaptations typical of responses to sinusoidal stimuli. The PRTS perturbation contained a wide spectral bandwidth (0.08-3.67 Hz) and was scaled to 4 different peak-to-peak amplitudes (3-24 cm). Root-mean-square (RMS) of hip displacement and velocity increased relative to RMS ankle displacement and velocity in the absence of vision across all subjects, especially at higher perturbation amplitudes. Gain and phase lag of CoM sway relative to the perturbation also increased with perturbation frequency; phase lag further increased when vision was absent. Together, our results suggest that visual input, perturbation amplitude, and perturbation frequency can concurrently and independently modulate postural strategies during standing balance. Moreover, each factor contributes to the difficulty of maintaining postural stability; increased difficulty evokes a greater reliance on hip motion. Finally, despite high degrees of joint angle variation across subjects, CoM measures were relatively similar across subjects, suggesting that the CoM is an important controlled variable for balance. PMID:24132526

Background The purpose of the study was to determine whether women who exercised during and after pregnancy had better static postural stability compared to those who did not exercise. Material/Methods Posturographic tests were performed in 31 women at 34–39 weeks gestation, and again at 6–10 weeks postpartum. The center of pressure mean velocity (with directional subcomponents) and sway area were computed from 30-s quiet standing trials on a stationary force plate with eyes open or closed. The women were surveyed about their lifestyle and physical activity in the perinatal period. Based on the survey, 12 of the women were assigned as regular exercisers and 19 as non-exercisers. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare data of the exercisers and the non-exercisers in their advanced pregnancy and again at 2 months postpartum. Results Postural sway measures were not significantly different between the exercisers and the non-exercisers in advanced pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum (p>0.05). Conclusions Individually performed physical activity during the perinatal period did not affect pregnant/postpartum women’s postural stability characteristics of quiet standing. PMID:25293983

[Purpose] To investigate the effects of movement from a postural maintenance position on lumbar hemodynamic changes, in order to prevent lower back pain and develop exercise therapy. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-five healthy adults (mean age: 23.2 years) participated in the study. During flexion-extension exercise, the subjects moved their trunks gradually to a flexed position from an upright posture while sitting and standing, and then returned to and maintained an upright (re-upright) position. In the extension-flexion exercise, the subjects moved their trunks gradually from an upright posture to an extended position, and back while maintaining an upright (re-upright) position. Lumbar spinal muscle activity and hemodynamic changes were evaluated during both exercises. [Results] During the flexion and extension exercises, increased trunk-flexion angle caused increased muscle activity, decreased oxygenated hemoglobin in the multifidus muscle, and increased deoxygenated hemoglobin in the multifidus and lumbar erector spinae muscles. Moreover, the muscle activities were nearly the same in the re-upright and upright positions, and total hemoglobin also increased. [Conclusion] In both standing and sitting positions, holding the trunk in a flexed position causes ischemic hemodynamic changes in the multifidus muscle; however, the hyperemic response when returning the trunk to an extended position may improve circulation. PMID:27390450

Wind instrumentalists require a sophisticated functioning of their respiratory system to control their air stream, which provides the power for optimal musical performance. The air supply must be delivered into the instrument in a steady and controlled manner and with enough power by the action of the expiratory musculature to produce the desired level of sound at the correct pitch. It is suggested that playing posture may have an impact on the abdominal muscle activity controlling this expired air, but there is no research on musicians to support this theory. This study evaluated chest and abdominal expansion, via respiratory inductive plethysmography, as well as activation patterns of lower and upper abdominal musculature, using surface electromyography, during performance of a range of typical orchestral repertoire by 113 woodwind and brass players. Each of the five orchestral excerpts was played in one of four randomly allocated postures: standing; sitting flat; sitting inclined forwards; and sitting inclined backwards. Musicians showed a clear preference for playing in standing rather than sitting. In standing, the chest expansion range and maximum values were greater (p < 0.01), while the abdominal expansion was less than in all sitting postures (p < 0.01). Chest expansion patterns did not vary between the three sitting postures, while abdominal expansion was reduced in the forward inclined posture compared to the other sitting postures (p < 0.05). There was no significant variation in abdominal muscle activation between the sitting postures, but the level of activation in sitting was only 2/3 of the significantly higher level observed in standing (p < 0.01). This study has demonstrated significant differences in respiratory mechanics between sitting and standingpostures in wind musicians during playing of typical orchestral repertoire. Further research is needed to clarify the complex respiratory mechanisms supporting musical performance. PMID:25202290

Researchers use actual microgravity (AM) during parabolic flight and simulated microgravity (SM) obtained with horizontal suspension analogs to better understand the effect of gravity upon gait. In both environments, the gravitational force is replaced by an external load (EL) that returns the subject to the treadmill. However, when compared to normal gravity (N), researchers consistently find reduced ground reaction forces (GRF) and subtle kinematic differences (Schaffner et al., 2005). On the International Space Station, the EL is applied by elastic bungees attached to a waist and shoulder harness. While bungees can provide EL approaching body weight (BW), their force-length characteristics coupled with vertical oscillations of the body during gait result in a variable load. However, during locomotion in N, the EL is consistently equal to 100% body weight. Comparisons between AM and N have shown that during running, GRF are decreased in AM (Schaffner et al, 2005). Kinematic evaluations in the past have focussed on joint range of motion rather than joint posture at specific instances of the gait cycle. The reduced GRF in microgravity may be a result of differing hip, knee, and ankle positions during contact. The purpose of this investigation was to compare joint angles of the lower extremities during walking and running in AM, SM, and N. We hypothesized that in AM and SM, joints would be more flexed at heel strike (HS), mid-stance (MS) and toe-off (TO) than in N.

Bioimpedance spectroscopy is a known option for measuring body fluid volume. However, it is prone to a variety of influence factors which prevent a wider use. One of these influencing factors is the body posture. It could be shown that the average intracellular resistance percentage changes when the subject changes position from lying to standing. Most authors explain this phenomenon by fluid shifts. Another possible reason is the stray capacitance between the body and the ground, because if a certain fraction of the injected current follows other paths than between the potential electrodes, the result will be wrong. This paper analyses the influence of different body postures on the measured intracellular resistance and the posture depending capacity. For this purpose, FEM simulations are used. Subsequently, an electrical equivalent model with capacitances was developed. With this model, it is possible to correct the measured impedance and to neglect the influence of the stray capacitance.

There are several reports suggesting that forward head posture is associated with temporomandibular disorders and restraint of mandibular growth, possibly due to mandibular displacement posteriorly. However, there have been few reports in which the condylar position was examined in forward head posture. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the condyle moves posteriorly in the forward head posture. The condylar position and electromyography from the masseter, temporal and digastric muscles were recorded on 15 healthy male adults at mandibular rest position in the natural head posture and deliberate forward head posture. The condylar position in the deliberate forward head posture was significantly more posterior than that in the natural head posture. The activity of the masseter and digastric muscles in the deliberate forward head posture was slightly increased. These results suggest that the condyle moves posteriorly in subjects with forward head posture. PMID:18808377

The head motions of standing subjects have been measured while they were exposed to floor vibration occurring in each of the three translational axes: fore-and-aft, lateral and vertical. While exposed to fore-and-aft floor vibration, the 12 male subjects were instructed to stand in two postures: holding a handrail in front of them lightly; and holding the handrail rigidly. During exposure to lateral floor vibration subjects stood in three postures: feet together, feet 30 cm apart and feet 60 cm apart. The postures investigated during exposure to vertical floor vibration were: straight legs (i.e., locked), legs very slightly bent (i.e., unlocked) and legs bent. Variability within and between subjects (i.e., intra- and inter-subject variability) was investigated for all axes of excitation and all postures. Transmissibilities between the floor and the head were calculated for all conditions. During exposure to fore-and-aft floor vibration, the head motion occurred mostly in the mid-sagittal plane; a rigid grip on the handrail resulted in higher transmissibilities than a light grip. During exposure to lateral floor vibration, the head motion occurred mainly below 3 Hz and in the lateral axis; the 60 cm foot separation resulted in more head motion below 3 Hz than the other postures. During exposure to vertical floor vibration, head motion occurred principally in the mid-sagittal plane. For frequencies below about 5 Hz, a legs bent posture resulted in the highest transmissibilities, while a legs locked posture showed the lowest motion; this order was reversed at higher frequencies. Differences in transmissibility as large as 20:1 occurred between subjects for some conditions.

Upright posture leads to rapid pooling of blood in the lower extremities and shifts plasma fluid into surrounding tissues. This results in a decrease in plasma volume (PV) and in hemoconcentration. There has been no integrative evaluation of concomitant neurohumoral and PV shifts with upright posture in normal subjects. We studied 10 healthy subjects after 3 days of stable Na+ and K+ intake. PV was assessed by the Evans blue dye method and by changes in hematocrit. Norepinephrine (NE), NE spillover, epinephrine (Epi), vasopressin, plasma renin activity, aldosterone, osmolarity, and kidney response expressed by urine osmolality and by Na+ and K+ excretion of the subjects in the supine and standingpostures were all measured. We found that PV fell by 13% (375 +/- 35 ml plasma) over approximately 14 min, after which time it remained relatively stable. There was a concomitant decrease in systolic blood pressure and an increase in heart rate that peaked at the time of maximal decrease in PV. Plasma Epi and NE increased rapidly to this point. Epi approached baseline by 20 min of standing. NE spillover increased 80% and clearance decreased 30% with 30 min of standing. The increase in plasma renin activity correlated with an increase in aldosterone. Vasopressin increased progressively, but there was no change in plasma osmolarity. The kidney response showed a significant decrease in Na+ and an increase in K+ excretion with upright posture. We conclude that a cascade of neurohumoral events occurs with upright posture, some of which particularly coincide with the decrease in PV. Plasma Epi levels may contribute to the increment in heart rate with maintained upright posture.

Visually-induced illusions of self-motion (vection) can be compelling for some people, but they are subject to large individual variations in strength. Do these variations depend, at least in part, on the extent to which people rely on vision to maintain their postural stability? We investigated by comparing physical posture measures to subjective vection ratings. Using a Bertec balance plate in a brightly-lit room, we measured 13 participants' excursions of the centre of foot pressure (CoP) over a 60-second period with eyes open and with eyes closed during quiet stance. Subsequently, we collected vection strength ratings for large optic flow displays while seated, using both verbal ratings and online throttle measures. We also collected measures of postural sway (changes in anterior-posterior CoP) in response to the same visual motion stimuli while standing on the plate. The magnitude of standing sway in response to expanding optic flow (in comparison to blank fixation periods) was predictive of both verbal and throttle measures for seated vection. In addition, the ratio between eyes-open and eyes-closed CoP excursions during quiet stance (using the area of postural sway) significantly predicted seated vection for both measures. Interestingly, these relationships were weaker for contracting optic flow displays, though these produced both stronger vection and more sway. Next we used a non-linear analysis (recurrence quantification analysis, RQA) of the fluctuations in anterior-posterior position during quiet stance (both with eyes closed and eyes open); this was a much stronger predictor of seated vection for both expanding and contracting stimuli. Given the complex multisensory integration involved in postural control, our study adds to the growing evidence that non-linear measures drawn from complexity theory may provide a more informative measure of postural sway than the conventional linear measures. PMID:25462216

In our movements and posture, we always act against a physical load. A key property of any load is its elastic stiffness (K), which describes how the force required to hold it must change with position. Here we examine how load stiffness affects the ability to maintain a stable posture at the wrist. Loads having positive (like a spring) and negative stiffness (like an inverted pendulum) were created by varying the position of weights on multiarm rigid pendulum. Subjects (n = 9) held 15 loads (K = ± 0.04, ± 0.01 and 0 N m deg−1 at mean torques of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 N m) still for 60 s. Residual wrist movement (sway) increased with mean torque and increased as stiffness became more negative. Large effects of load stiffness were seen at low frequencies (< 1.5 Hz) but not at higher frequencies that reflect load resonance and reflex activity. Subjects accurately perceived their postural sway while holding the loads but measured psychophysical thresholds showed that load stiffness was not perceived. We conclude that load stiffness, independent of force levels, affects the ability to control a load and that the postural control process relies on perception and volitional tracking rather than more automatic reflex pathways. Despite an awareness of their postural errors, we see no evidence for adaptation of postural control processes to compensate for changes in load properties. This is unlike the adaptation of feedforward control processes that produce targeted volitional movements when load properties are altered. We propose that postural control and movement control are fundamentally different neural processes. PMID:18187473

The aim of this work was to modify the standingposture of the anthropomorphic reference phantoms of ICRP publication 110, AM (Adult Male) and AF (Adult Female), to the sitting posture. The change of posture was performed using the Visual Monte Carlo software (VMC) to rotate the thigh region of the phantoms and position it between the region of the leg and trunk. Scion Image software was used to reconstruct and smooth the knee and hip contours of the phantoms in a sitting posture. For 3D visualization of phantoms, the VolView software was used. In the change of postures, the organ and tissue masses were preserved. The MCNPX was used to calculate the equivalent and effective dose conversion coefficients (CCs) per fluence for photons for six irradiation geometries suggested by ICRP publication 110 (AP, PA, RLAT, LLAT, ROT and ISO) and energy range 0.010-10 MeV. The results were compared between the standing and sitting postures, for both sexes, in order to evaluate the differences of scattering and absorption of radiation for different postures. Significant differences in the CCs for equivalent dose were observed in the gonads, colon, prostate, urinary bladder and uterus, which are present in the pelvic region, and in organs distributed throughout the body, such as the lymphatic nodes, muscle, skeleton and skin, for the phantoms of both sexes. CCs for effective dose showed significant differences of up to 16% in the AP irradiation geometry, 27% in the PA irradiation geometry and 13% in the ROT irradiation geometry. These results demonstrate the importance of using phantoms in different postures in order to obtain more precise conversion coefficients for a given exposure scenario.

This is a ground level view of Test Stand 500 at the east test area of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Originally constructed in 1966, Test Stand 500 is a multipurpose, dual-position test facility. The stand was utilized to test liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen turbopumps and combustion devices for the J-2 engine. One test position has a high superstructure with lines and tankage for testing liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen turbopumps while the other position is adaptable to pressure-fed test programs such as turbo machinery bearings or seals. The facility was modified in 1980 to support Space Shuttle main engine (SSME) bearing testing.

There is evidence to implicate the role of the cervical spine in influencing postural control, however the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore standingpostural control mechanisms in older adults with neck pain (NP) using measures of signal frequency (wavelet analysis) and complexity (entropy). This cross-sectional study compared balance performance of twenty older adults with (age=70.3±4.0 years) and without (age=71.4±5.1 years) NP when standing on a force platform with eyes open and closed. Anterior-posterior centre-of-pressure data were processed using wavelet analysis and sample entropy. Performance-based balance was assessed using the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI). The NP group demonstrated poorer functional performance (TUG and DGI, p<0.01) than the healthy controls. Wavelet analysis revealed that standingpostural sway in the NP group was positively skewed towards the lower frequency movement (very-low [0.10-0.39Hz] frequency content, p<0.01) and negatively skewed towards moderate frequency movement (moderate [1.56-6.25Hz] frequency content, p=0.012). Sample entropy showed no significant differences between groups (p>0.05). Our results demonstrate that older adults with NP have poorer balance than controls. Furthermore, wavelet analysis may reveal unique insights into postural control mechanisms. Given that centre-of-pressure signal movements in the very-low and moderate frequencies are postulated to be associated with vestibular and muscular proprioceptive input respectively, we speculated that, because NP demonstrate a diminished ability to recruit the muscular proprioceptive system compared to controls, they rely more on the vestibular system for postural stability. PMID:24530119

During quiet standing, humans tend to sway with a distinctive pattern that has been difficult to capture with simple engineering models. We have developed a nonlinear optimal control model for posture regulation. The proposed model consists of two main components: body dynamics and performance measure. The body dynamics are those of a double inverted pendulum in the sagittal plane controlled by ankle and hip torques. The performance measure is nonlinear quartic in the center of pressure and quadratic in the controls. Realistic values for both sensory and motor delays are included in the dynamic model. This nonlinear quartic regulator problem is solved approximately by the model predictive control technique. The resulting feedback control replicates both the experimentally observed sway and the coordinated nonlinear response. It should also use less muscular energy than other comparable controls. The method can easily be extended to more complex models of posture regulation. PMID:22692939

Postural control was measured in 214 human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. Sensory organization tests measured the magnitude of anterior-posterior body sway during six 21 s trials in which visual and somatosensory orientation cues were altered (by rotating the visual surround and support surface in proportion to the subject's sway) or vision eliminated (eyes closed) in various combinations. No age-related increase in postural sway was found for subjects standing on a fixed support surface with eyes open or closed. However, age-related increases in sway were found for conditions involving altered visual or somatosensory cues. Subjects older than about 55 years showed the largest sway increases. Subjects younger than about 15 years were also sensitive to alteration of sensory cues. On average, the older subjects were more affected by altered visual cues whereas younger subjects had more difficulty with altered somatosensory cues.

In light of the wide use of cryotherapy and its potential negative effects on postural stability, little is known about how postural sway is affected, particularly when the whole lower limb is immersed. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of cryotherapy on postural sway in healthy males. Twenty-six subjects were randomly assigned into two intervention groups: control (tepid water at ∼26°C) or ice (cold water at ∼11°C). Postural sway was measured through the center of pressure (COP) position while they stood on a force plate during bipedal (70 s) and unipedal (40 s) conditions before and after the subjects were immersed in a water tub up to the umbilical level for 20 min. COP standard deviation (SD) and COP velocity were analyzed in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions. Statistical analysis showed that in the bipedal condition cryotherapy increased the COP SD and COP velocity in the ML direction. During the unipedal condition, a higher COP velocity in the AP and ML directions was also reported. Our findings indicate that cryotherapy by immersing the whole lower limb should be used with caution before engaging in challenging postural control activities. PMID:24631278

[Purpose] The visual system is one of the sensory systems that enables the body to assess and process information about the external environment. In the absence of vision, a blind person loses contact with the outside world and develops faulty motor patterns, which results in postural deficiencies. However, literature regarding the development of such deficiencies is limited. The aim of this study was to discuss the effect of absence of vision on posture, the possible biomechanics behind the resulting postural deficiencies, and strategies to correct and prevent them. [Subjects and Methods] Various electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, and Google scholar were examined using the words "body", "posture", "blind" and "absence of vision". References in the retrieved articles were also examined for cross-references. The search was limited to articles in the English language. [Results] A total of 74 papers were shortlisted for this review, most of which dated back to the 1950s and 60s. [Conclusion] Blind people exhibit consistent musculoskeletal deformities. Absence of vision leads to numerous abnormal sensory and motor interactions that often limit blind people in isolation. Rehabilitation of the blind is a multidisciplinary task. Specialists from different fields need to diagnose and treat the deficiencies of the blind together as a team. Before restoring the normal mechanics of posture and gait, the missing link with the external world should be reestablished. PMID:27190486

Locomotor behaviors evoked by stimulating the hypothalamus and the brainstem were studied in freely moving, awake cats. To do this, stimulating microelectrodes were chronically implanted into the subthalamic locomotor region (SLR) in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) corresponding to the nucleus cuneiformis, the dorsal tegmental field (DTF) and the ventral tegmental field (VTF) of caudal pons along its midline. After recovery from surgery (2-3 days), open field tests were performed to study stimulus effects upon posture and locomotor movements. The stimuli consisted of pulses of 0.2 ms duration of less than 80 microA delivered at 50 pulses/s for 5-20 s. DTF stimulation resulted in suppression of postural support by the hindlimbs. When the cat was in a standingposture, DTF stimulation simply resulted in a sequential alteration of posture to a squatting and then to a final lying posture. In contrast, VTF stimulation evoked an almost opposite series of postural changes to those induced by DTF stimulation. With VTF stimulation, the cat changed from a lying or a squatting position, and then started to walk during continuation of the stimulation. With MLR stimulation, the cat invariably exhibited fast walking and then running movements. It ran straight forward, avoiding collision with walls or other obstacles, and even tried to jump over a fence placed in front of it. With LHA stimulation, the cat started to walk slowly extending its head forward and looking around repeatedly. It tended to walk with a stoop and stealthy steps along the corners of the room. Induced postural and locomotor changes were always accompanied by behavioral arousal reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:2611678

Standing balance is often threatened in everyday life. These threats typically involve scenarios in which either the likelihood or the consequence of falling is higher than normal. When cats are placed in these scenarios they respond by increasing the sensitivity of muscle spindles imbedded in the leg muscles, presumably to increase balance-relevant afferent information available to the nervous system. At present, it is unknown whether humans also respond to such postural threats by altering muscle spindle sensitivity. Here we present two studies that probed the effects of postural threat on spinal stretch reflexes. In study 1 we manipulated the threat associated with an increased consequence of a fall by having subjects stand at the edge of an elevated surface (3.2 m). In study 2 we manipulated the threat by increasing the likelihood of a fall by occasionally tilting the support surface on which subjects stood. In both scenarios we used Hoffmann (H) and tendon stretch (T) reflexes to probe the spinal stretch reflex circuit of the soleus muscle. We observed increased T-reflex amplitudes and unchanged H-reflex amplitudes in both threat scenarios. These results suggest that the synaptic state of the spinal stretch reflex is unaffected by postural threat and that therefore the muscle spindles activated in the T-reflexes must be more sensitive in the threatening conditions. We propose that this increase in sensitivity may function to satisfy the conflicting needs to restrict movement with threat, while maintaining a certain amount of sensory information related to postural control. PMID:23719208

While Alexander technique (AT) teachers have been reported to stand up by shifting weight gradually as they incline the trunk forward, healthy untrained (HU) adults appear unable to rise in this way. This study examines the hypothesis that HU have difficulty rising smoothly, and that this difficulty relates to reported differences in postural stiffness between groups. A wide range of movement durations (1–8 s) and anteroposterior foot placements were studied under the instruction to rise at a uniform rate. Before seat-off (SO) there were clear and profound performance differences between groups, particularly for slower movements, that could not be explained by strength differences. For each movement duration, HU used approximately twice the forward center-of-mass (CoM) velocity and vertical feet-loading rate as AT. For slow movements, HU violated task instruction by abruptly speeding up and rapidly shifting weight just before SO. In contrast, AT shifted weight gradually while smoothly advancing the CoM, achieving a more anterior CoM at SO. A neuromechanical model revealed a mechanism whereby stiffness affects standing up by exacerbating a conflict between postural and balance constraints. Thus activating leg extensors to take body weight hinders forward CoM progression toward the feet. HU's abrupt weight shift can be explained by reliance on momentum to stretch stiff leg extensors. AT's smooth rises can be explained by heightened dynamic tone control that reduces leg extensor resistance and improves force transmission across the trunk. Our results suggest postural control shapes movement coordination through a dynamic “postural frame” that affects the resistive behavior of the body. PMID:25085609

A project within SwampWorks is building a test stand to hold regolith to study how dust is ejected when exposed to the hot exhaust plume of a rocket engine. The test stand needs to be analyzed, finalized, and fabrication drawings generated to move forward. Modifications of the test stand assembly were made with Creo 2 modeling software. Structural analysis calculations were developed by hand to confirm if the structure will hold the expected loads while optimizing support positions. These calculations when iterated through MatLab demonstrated the optimized position of the vertical support to be 98'' from the far end of the stand. All remaining deflections were shown to be under the 0.6'' requirement and internal stresses to meet NASA Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Safety Standards. Though at the time of writing, fabrication drawings have yet to be generated, but are expected shortly after.

When a single light cue is given in the visual field, our eyes orient towards it with an average latency of 200 ms. If a second cue is presented at or around the time of the response to the first, a secondary eye movement occurs that represents a reorientation to the new target. While studies have shown that eye movement latencies to 'single-step' targets may or may not be lengthened with age, secondary eye movements (during 'double-step' displacements) are significantly delayed with increasing age. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the postural challenge posed simply by standing (as opposed to sitting) results in significantly longer eye movement latencies in older adults compared to the young. Ten young (<35 years) and 10 older healthy adults (>65 years) participated in the study. They were required to fixate upon a central target and move their eyes in response to 2 types of stimuli: (1) a single-step perturbation of target position either 15° to the right or left and (2) a double-step target displacement incorporating an initial target jump to the right or left by 15°, followed after 200 ms, by a shift of target position to the opposite side (e.g. +15° then -15°). All target displacement conditions were executed in sit and stand positions with the participant at the same distance from the targets. Eye movements were recorded using electro-oculography. Older adults did not show significantly longer eye movement latencies than the younger adults for single-step target displacements, and postural configuration (stand compared to sit) had no effect upon latencies for either group. We categorised double-step trials into those during which the second light changed after or before the onset of the eye shift to the first light. For the former category, young participants showed faster secondary eye shifts to the second light in the standing position, while the older adults did not. For the latter category of double-step trial, young participants

The Stimulus Test Stand was originally constructed and assembled for testing the SVX2 ASIC readout and then upgraded for SVX3 ASIC prototyping and testing. We have modified this system for SVX4 ASIC [1] prototype testing. We described the individual components below. Additional details for other hardware for SVX4 testing can be found in reference [2]. We provide a description of the Stimulus Test Stand used for prototype testing of the SVX4 chip.

Photographs found in the search for and exploration of 13 university mining engineering department Web sites were studied for their asymmetries of power by analyzing the role (student, instructor, secretarial staff, miner, and honoree) and posture (sitting, standing) of men and women in the photographs. The Web site photographs showed a higher rate of women occupying student roles than men did. Women had a lower rate of occupying instructor and miner roles. No women were portrayed as being honored. Men exhibited a higher rate of occupying the standingposture than did women. Women were more often shown sitting than men were. Implications of portraying a nonequitable power structure between men and women in the search for and exploration of mining engineering Web sites are discussed, including a recommendation that all academic departments should examine the portrayal of gender on their Web sites.

The purpose of this study was to investigate 1) the effect of feet distance on static postural balance and 2) the location of natural feet distance and its possible role in the relationship of feet distance and postural balance. Static balance tests were performed on a force platform for 100 s with six different feet distances (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 cm). Measures of postural balance included mean amplitude of horizontal ground reaction force (GRF) as well as the mean distance and velocity of the center of pressure (COP). All measures were discomposed into anterioposterior and mediolateral directions. ANOVA and post-hoc comparison were performed for all measures with feet distance as an independent factor. Also measured was the feet distance at the natural stance preferred by each subject. All measures significantly varied with feet distance (p<0.001). Mean distance of COP showed monotonic decrease with feet distance. Mean amplitude of horizontal GRF as well as mean velocity of COP showed U-shaped pattern (decrease followed by increase) with the minimum at the feet distance of 15 cm or 20 cm, near which the natural feet distance of 16.5 (SD 3.8) cm was located. COP is regarded to be an approximation of the center of mass (hence the resultant performance of postural control) in an inverted pendulum model with the horizontal GRF ignored. On the other hand, horizontal GRF is the direct cause of horizontal acceleration of a center of mass. The present result on horizontal GRF shows that the effort of postural control is minimized around the feet distance of natural standing and implies why the natural stance is preferred. PMID:25226972

Force-plate posturography is a simple method that is commonly used in the contemporary laboratory and clinic to assess postural control. Despite the obvious advantages and popularity of the method, universal standards for posturographic tests have not been developed thus far: most postural assessments are based on the standard spatiotemporal metrics of the center-of-foot pressure (COP) recorded during quiet stance. Unfortunately, the standard COP characteristics are strongly dependent on individual experimental design and are susceptible to distortions such as the noise of signal digitalization, which often makes the results from different laboratories incomparable and unreliable. The COP trajectories were recorded in subjects standing still, with eyes open (EO) and then, with eyes closed (EC). The 168 subjects were divided into 3 experimental groups: young adults, older adults, and patients with Parkinson's disease. Three novel output measures: the sway directional index (DI), the sway ratio (SR), and the sway vector (SV) were applied to assess the postural stability in the experimental groups. The controlled variables: age, pathology, and visual conditions, uniquely affected the output measures. The basic attributes of the SV: its reference position, magnitude, and azimuth, provided a unique set of descriptors for postural control that allowed me unambiguously to differentiate the decline in postural stability caused by natural ageing and Parkinson's disease. As shown in previous investigations, the SV attributes, when optimally filtered with a low-pass filter, were highly independent of the trial length and the sampling frequency, and were unaffected by the sampling noise. In conclusion, the SV may be recommended as the useful standard in static posturography. PMID:27004624

Anxiety and arousal have been shown to facilitate human vestibulo-ocular reflexes, presumably through direct neural connections between the vestibular nuclei and emotional processing areas of the brain. However, the effects of anxiety, fear and arousal on balance-relevant vestibular reflexes are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to manipulate standing height to determine whether anxiety and fear can modulate the direct relationship between vestibular signals and balance reflexes during stance. Stochastic vestibular stimulation (SVS; 2–25 Hz) was used to evoke ground reaction forces (GRF) while subjects stood in both LOW and HIGH surface height conditions. Two separate experiments were conducted to investigate the SVS–GRF relationship, in terms of coupling (coherence and cumulant density) and gain, in the medio-lateral (ML) and antero-posterior (AP) directions. The short- and medium-latency cumulant density peaks were both significantly increased in the ML and AP directions when standing in HIGH, compared to LOW, conditions. Likewise, coherence was statistically greater between 4.3 Hz and 6.7 Hz in the ML, and between 5.5 and 17.7 Hz in the AP direction. When standing in the HIGH condition, the gain of the SVS–GRF relationship was increased 81% in the ML direction, and 231% in the AP direction. The significant increases in coupling and gain observed in both experiments demonstrate that vestibular-evoked balance responses are augmented in states of height-induced postural threat. These data support the possibility that fear or anxiety-mediated changes to balance control are affected by altered central processing of vestibular information. PMID:24973412

Anxiety and arousal have been shown to facilitate human vestibulo-ocular reflexes, presumably through direct neural connections between the vestibular nuclei and emotional processing areas of the brain. However, the effects of anxiety, fear and arousal on balance-relevant vestibular reflexes are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to manipulate standing height to determine whether anxiety and fear can modulate the direct relationship between vestibular signals and balance reflexes during stance. Stochastic vestibular stimulation (SVS; 2-25 Hz) was used to evoke ground reaction forces (GRF) while subjects stood in both LOW and HIGH surface height conditions. Two separate experiments were conducted to investigate the SVS-GRF relationship, in terms of coupling (coherence and cumulant density) and gain, in the medio-lateral (ML) and antero-posterior (AP) directions. The short- and medium-latency cumulant density peaks were both significantly increased in the ML and AP directions when standing in HIGH, compared to LOW, conditions. Likewise, coherence was statistically greater between 4.3 Hz and 6.7 Hz in the ML, and between 5.5 and 17.7 Hz in the AP direction. When standing in the HIGH condition, the gain of the SVS-GRF relationship was increased 81% in the ML direction, and 231% in the AP direction. The significant increases in coupling and gain observed in both experiments demonstrate that vestibular-evoked balance responses are augmented in states of height-induced postural threat. These data support the possibility that fear or anxiety-mediated changes to balance control are affected by altered central processing of vestibular information. PMID:24973412

We investigated the speed-accuracy trade-off in a task of pointing with the big toe of the right foot by a standing person that was designed to accentuate the importance of postural adjustments. This was done to test two hypotheses: (1) movement time during foot pointing will scale linearly with ID during target width changes, but the scaling will differ across movement distances; and (2) variations in movement time will be reflected in postural preparations to foot motion. Ten healthy adults stood on the force plate and were instructed to point with the big toe of the right foot at a target (with widths varying from 2 to 10 cm) placed on the floor in front of the subject at a distance varying from 10 to 100 cm. The instruction given to the subjects was typical for Fitts' paradigm: "be as fast and as accurate as possible in your pointing movement". The results have shown that movement time during foot pointing movements scaled with both target distance (D) and target width (W), but the two dependences could not be reduced to a single function of W/D, confirming the first hypothesis. With respect to the second hypothesis, we found that changes in task parameters led to proportional variations in movement speed and indices of variability of the postural adjustments prior to leg movement initiation, confirming the second hypothesis. Both groups of observations were valid over the whole range of distances despite the switch of the movement strategy in the middle of this range. We conclude that the speed-accuracy trade-off in a task with postural adjustments originates at the level of movement planning. The different dependences of movement time on D and W may be related to spontaneous postural sway (migration of the point of application of the resultant force acting on the body of the standing person). The results may have practical implications for posture and gait rehabilitation techniques that use modifications of stepping accuracy. PMID:17273871

Objective. To assess the correlation of abnormal trunk postures and reposition sense of subjects with forward head neck posture (FHP). Methods. In all, postures of 41 subjects were evaluated and the FHP and trunk posture including shoulder, scapular level, pelvic side, and anterior tilting degrees were analyzed. We used the head repositioning accuracy (HRA) test to evaluate neck position senses of neck flexion, neck extension, neck right and left side flexion, and neck right and left rotation and calculated the root mean square error in trials for each subject. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and regression analysis were used to assess the degree of correlation between the trunk posture and HRA value, and a significance level of α = 0.05 was considered. Results. There were significant correlations between the HRA value of right side neck flexion and pelvic side tilt angle (p < 0.05). If pelvic side tilting angle increases by 1 degree, right side neck flexion increased by 0.76 degrees (p = 0.026). However, there were no significant correlations between other neck motions and trunk postures. Conclusion. Verifying pelvic postures should be prioritized when movement is limited due to the vitiation of the proprioceptive sense of neck caused by FHP. PMID:26583125

The use of a symbol to prompt the adoption of correct lifting posture was examined in three studies. Study 1 used an Appropriateness Test to evaluate nine symbols designed to encourage the adoption of correct lifting posture. Four symbols met the appropriateness criteria and were tested for comprehension in Study 2. Study 3 examined the effect of the best performing symbol from Study 2 in a field setting which involved subjects lifting a small box. Results indicate significant increases in the adoption of the use of correct lifting posture when the symbol was present compared to a control condition. The study also identified the placement of a lifting criterion symbol onto packaging as a useful technique for communicating safety information. PMID:10416848

Motor abundance is an essential feature of adaptive control. The range of joint combinations enabled by motor abundance provides the body with the necessary freedom to adopt different positions, configurations, and movements that allow for exploratory postural behavior. This study investigated the adaptation of postural control to joint immobilization during multi-task performance. Twelve healthy volunteers (6 males and 6 females; 21–29 yr) without any known neurological deficits, musculoskeletal conditions, or balance disorders participated in this study. The participants executed a targeting task, alone or combined with a ball-balancing task, while standing with free or restricted joint motions. The effects of joint configuration variability on center of mass (COM) stability were examined using uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis. The UCM method separates joint variability into two components: the first is consistent with the use of motor abundance, which does not affect COM position (VUCM); the second leads to COM position variability (VORT). The analysis showed that joints were coordinated such that their variability had a minimal effect on COM position. However, the component of joint variability that reflects the use of motor abundance to stabilize COM (VUCM) was significant decreased when the participants performed the combined task with immobilized joints. The component of joint variability that leads to COM variability (VORT) tended to increase with a reduction in joint degrees of freedom. The results suggested that joint immobilization increases the difficulty of stabilizing COM when multiple tasks are performed simultaneously. These findings are important for developing rehabilitation approaches for patients with limited joint movements. PMID:25329477

In one approach to modeling brain function, sensorimotor integration is described as geometrical mapping among coordinates of non-orthogonal frames that are intrinsic to the system; in such a case sensors represent (covariant) afferents and motor effectors represent (contravariant) motor efferents. The neuronal networks that perform such a function are viewed as general tensor transformations among different expressions and metric tensors determining the geometry of neural functional spaces. Although the non-orthogonality of a coordinate system does not impose a specific geometry on the space, this "Tensor Network Theory of brain function" allows for the possibility that the geometry is non-Euclidean. It is suggested that investigation of the non-Euclidean nature of the geometry is the key to understanding brain function and to interpreting neuronal network function. This paper outlines three contemporary applications of such a theoretical modeling approach. The first is the analysis and interpretation of multi-electrode recordings. The internal geometries of neural networks controlling external behavior of the skeletomuscle system is experimentally determinable using such multi-unit recordings. The second application of this geometrical approach to brain theory is modeling the control of posture and movement. A preliminary simulation study has been conducted with the aim of understanding the control of balance in a standing human. The model appears to unify postural control strategies that have previously been considered to be independent of each other. Third, this paper emphasizes the importance of the geometrical approach for the design and fabrication of neurocomputers that could be used in functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) for replacing lost motor control.

In one approach to modeling brain function, sensorimotor integration is described as geometrical mapping among coordinates of non-orthogonal frames that are intrinsic to the system; in such a case sensors represent (covariant) afferents and motor effectors represent (contravariant) motor efferents. The neuronal networks that perform such a function are viewed as general tensor transformations among different expressions and metric tensors determining the geometry of neural functional spaces. Although the non-orthogonality of a coordinate system does not impose a specific geometry on the space, this "Tensor Network Theory of brain function" allows for the possibility that the geometry is non-Euclidean. It is suggested that investigation of the non-Euclidean nature of the geometry is the key to understanding brain function and to interpreting neuronal network function. This paper outlines three contemporary applications of such a theoretical modeling approach. The first is the analysis and interpretation of multi-electrode recordings. The internal geometries of neural networks controlling external behavior of the skeletomuscle system is experimentally determinable using such multi-unit recordings. The second application of this geometrical approach to brain theory is modeling the control of posture and movement. A preliminary simulation study has been conducted with the aim of understanding the control of balance in a standing human. The model appears to unify postural control strategies that have previously been considered to be independent of each other. Third, this paper emphasizes the importance of the geometrical approach for the design and fabrication of neurocomputers that could be used in functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) for replacing lost motor control. PMID:8234751

With the transition from the Shuttle program to the International Space Station (ISS), the opportunity to fly sensorimotor experiments in a weightless environment has become increasingly more difficult to obtain. As a result, more investigations have turned to ground-based analogs as a way of evaluating an experiment's viability. The two primary analogs available to most investigators are 6deg head down bed rest (HDBR) and dry immersion (DI). For the time being, HDBR investigations have been associated with studies conducted in the United States while the Russians and several other European Union states have concentrated their efforts on using DI as the space flight analog of choice. While either model may be viable for cardiovascular, bone and other system changes, vestibular and sensorimotor investigators have retained serious reservations of either analog's potential to serve as a replacement for a true weightless environment. These reservations have merit, but it is worthwhile to consider that not all changes associated with sensorimotor function during space flight are the result of top-down modifications, but may also be due to the lack, or change, of appropriate support surfaces applying force to the bottom of the feet. To this end we have compared quiet stance postural responses between short duration Space Shuttle flights, long duration ISS flights and HDBR of varying duration. Using these three platforms, representing different modifications of support we investigated postural ataxia using a quiet stance model. Quiet stance was obtained by asking the subjects to stand upright on a force plate, eyes open, arms at the side of the body for three min. From the force plate we obtained average sway velocity in two axes as well as length of line (stabilogram). These parameters were then related to EMG activity recorded from the medial gastrocnemius and lateral tibialis. It is significant to note that postural ataxia measured as quiet stance shows analogous

Socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood and adolescence predicts poor mental and physical health and premature death by major medical diseases in adulthood. However, the neural pathways through which socioeconomic factors may exert a developmental influence on health and longevity remain largely unknown. This fMRI study provides novel evidence of a unique relationship between the perception that one's parents had a relatively low social standing--a putative indicator of early socioeconomic disadvantage--and greater amygdala reactivity to threatening facial expressions. This relationship was not explained by several possible confounders, including sex, ethnicity, dispositional emotionality, symptoms of depression and anxiety, parental education and participants' perceptions of their own social standing. The amygdala expresses marked developmental plasticity and plays instrumental roles in processing emotional information, regulating emotion-related behaviors and orchestrating biobehavioral stress responses throughout life. Thus, these findings may provide insight into the neurodevelopmental pathways impacting socioeconomic disparities in health. PMID:18594696

In this study we examined the effects of intermittent short-duration Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) during a multisensory perturbation of posture in young and elderly adults. Twelve young (24.91±6.44 years) and eleven elderly (74.8±6.42 years) participants stood upright under two task conditions: (a) quiet standing and (b) standing while receiving pseudo-randomly presented bipolar 2 s GVS pulses. In both conditions, sensory reweighting was evoked by visual surround oscillations (20 cm, 0.3 Hz) and Achilles tendon vibration (3 mm, 80 Hz), concurrently delivered during the middle 60 s of standing. Intermittent GVS decreased the excessive postural sway induced by the concurrent visual and proprioceptive perturbation in young but not in elderly participants. It is suggested that GVS increases sensory reliance on the vestibular system while elderly adults are less able to exploit this stimulation in order to reduce the destabilizing effect of the multisensory perturbation on their posture. PMID:24388842

Patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP) may use postural control strategies that differ from healthy subjects. To study these possible differences, we measured the amount and structure of postural sway, and the response to muscle vibration in a working cohort of 215 subjects. Subjects were standing on a force plate in bipedal stance. In the first trial the eyes were open, no perturbation applied. In the following 6 trials, vision was occluded and subjects stood under various conditions of vibration/no vibration of the lumbar spine or m. Triceps Surae (TSM) on firm surface and on foam surface. We performed a factor analysis to reduce the large amount of variables that are available to quantify all effects. Subjects with LBP showed the same amount of sway as subjects without LBP, but the structure of their sway pattern was less regular with higher frequency content. Subjects with LBP also showed a smaller response to TSM vibration, and a slower balance recovery after cessation of vibration when standing on a solid surface. There was a weak but significant association between smaller responses to TSM vibration and an irregular, high frequency sway pattern, independent from LBP. A model for control of postural sway is proposed. This model suggests that subjects with LBP use more co-contraction and less cognitive control, to maintain a standing balance when compared to subjects without LBP. In addition, a reduced weighting of proprioceptive signals in subjects with LBP is suggested as an explanation for the findings in this study. PMID:25436915

The simultaneous performance of a cognitive task while walking typically alters the gait pattern. In some populations, these alterations have been associated with an increased risk of falls, motivating study of this response from the clinical perspective. The mechanisms responsible for these effects are not fully understood. The concurrent requirement to control upright posture and stepping, a bilaterally coordinated rhythmic task, may be the cause of this so-called dual-tasking effect. To evaluate this possibility, the present study was designed to isolate the individual contribution of these two demands by assessing the effects of cognitive loading on standing (i.e., postural control without bilateral coordination of stepping), cycling (i.e., bilateral coordination similar to stepping, but with minimal postural demands), and walking. We also investigated the effects of aging and parkinsonism on the performance of these three tasks in response to cognitive loading, also referred to as a dual task. Twenty-one healthy young adults, 15 healthy older adults, and 18 patients with Parkinson's disease were assessed while walking, standing, and cycling, with and without an additional cognitive load. In the young adults, the performance on the two motor tasks that involved bilateral coordination deteriorated significantly in response to the dual task, while standing was not impacted. Similar results, although less robust, were observed among the healthy older adults. In contrast, among the patients with Parkinson's disease, the dual-task costs, i.e., the impact of the simultaneously performed cognitive task on the gait pattern, were high in all motor tasks. These findings suggest that walking is especially vulnerable to cognitive loading, in part, because of the unique sensitivity of bilateral coordination of limb movements to the effects of dual tasking. PMID:23371748

Human postural sway during quiet standing is reduced when a fingertip lightly touches a stable surface. The tactile feedback information from the fingertip has been considered responsible for this effect of light touch. Studies have shown that a noise-like minute stimulation to the sensory system can improve the system's weak signal detection. In the present study, we investigated whether a noise-like unperceivable vibration on the fingertip enhances its tactile sensation and facilitates the effect of light touch during quiet standing. Thirteen volunteers maintained quiet standing while lightly touching a touch surface with the index fingertip. Based on each subject's vibrotactile threshold (VT), a noise-like vibration was applied to the touch surface at amplitudes under (0.5VT) or at VT (1.0VT), in addition to the normal light touch condition (no vibration, 0VT). The results showed that the mean velocities of the foot center of pressure (CoP) in both the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were significantly reduced at 0.5VT compared to 0VT and 1.0VT (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between 1.0VT and 0VT (P>0.05). Frequency analysis of CoP revealed that the power of high-frequency fluctuation (1-10Hz) was significantly reduced at 0.5VT (P<0.05), whereas no significant change was observed in that of low-frequency sway (below 1Hz) (P>0.05). These results indicate that an unperceivable noise-like vibration can facilitate the effect of light touch on postural stability, by further reducing fast postural sway. PMID:22075223

Background Dystonic postures possess a great number of differential diagnoses. Phenomenology Shown We describe a pseudodystonic posture in a 61-year-old woman with skeletal and extra-skeletal abnormalities. Educational Value Klippel–Feil syndrome represents an unusual cause of pseudodystonic posture to be considered in the differential diagnosis of dystonia. PMID:27352284

Based on a systems theory of motor control, reactive postural control (RPA) and anticipatory postural control (APA) in children are reviewed from several perspectives in order to develop an evidence-based intervention strategy for improving postural control in children with limitations in motor function. Research on development of postural…

Studies have suggested that proper postural control is essential for the development of reaching. However, little research has examined the development of the coordination between posture and manual control throughout childhood. We investigated the coordination between posture and manual control in children (7- and 10-year-olds) and adults during…

Previous work suggests females are evolutionarily adapted to have greater lumbar lordosis than males to aid in pregnancy load-bearing, but no consensus exists. To explore further sex-differences in the lumbar spine, and to understand contradictions in the literature, we conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of sex-differences in lumbar spine morphology and sacral orientation. In addition, our sample includes data for separate standing and supine samples of males and females to examine potential sex-differences in postural loading on lumbosacral morphology. We measured sagittal lumbosacral morphology on 200 radiographs. Measurements include: lumbar angle (L1-S1), lumbar vertebral body and disc wedging angles, sacral slope and pelvic incidence. Lumbar angle, representative of lordotic curvature between L1 and S1, was 7.3° greater in females than males, when standing. There were no significant sex-differences in lumbar angle when supine. This difference in standing lumbar angle can be explained by greater lordotic wedging of the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5) in females. Additionally, sacral slope was greater in females than males, when standing. There were no significant sex-differences in pelvic incidence. Our results support that females have greater lumbar lordosis than males when standing, but not when supine - suggesting a potentially greater range of motion in the female spine. Furthermore, sex-differences in the lumbar spine appear to be supported by postural differences in sacral-orientation and morphological differences in the vertebral body wedging. A better understanding of sex-differences in lumbosacral morphology may explain sex-differences in spinal conditions, as well as promote necessary sex-specific treatments. PMID:26916466

A torsional-type thrust stand has been designed and built to test Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPT's) in both single shot and repetitive operating modes. Using this stand, momentum per pulse was determined strictly as a function of thrust stand deflection, spring constant, and natural frequency. No empirical corrections were required. The accuracy of the method was verified using a swinging impact pendulum. Momentum transfer data between the thrust stand and the pendulum were consistent to within 1%. Following initial calibrations, the stand was used to test a Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES-8/9) thruster. The LES-8/9 system had a mass of approximately 7.5 kg, with a nominal thrust to weight ratio of 1.3 x 10(exp -5). A total of 34 single shot thruster pulses were individually measured. The average impulse bit per pulse was 266 microN-s, which was slightly less than the value of 300 microN-s published in previous reports on this device. Repetitive pulse measurements were performed similar to ordinary steady-state thrust measurements. The thruster was operated for 30 minutes at a repetition rate of 132 pulses per minute and yielded an average thrust of 573 microN. Using average thrust, the average impulse bit per pulse was estimated to be 260 microN-s, which was in agreement with the single shot data. Zero drift during the repetitive pulse test was found to be approximately 1% of the measured thrust.

The prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in adolescents and young adults has been increasing during the past decade. Despite this increase, documentation regarding treatment of these patients is just beginning to emerge. In addition, despite a call for a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach, no studies have examined the efficacy of such an approach to treatment. This paper describes a case study of a 19-year-old male with debilitating POTS seen at a tertiary clinic for evaluation and subsequent intensive interdisciplinary treatment. The treatment approach is described and outcomes are presented. PMID:26538160

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous disorder of the autonomic nervous system in which a change from the supine position to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate or tachycardia (30 bpm within 10 min of standing or head-up tilt). This response is accompanied by a decrease in blood flow to the brain and hence a spectrum of symptoms associated with cerebral hypoperfusion.(1) Many of these POTS-related symptoms are also observed in chronic anxiety and panic disorders, and therefore POTS is frequently under- and misdiagnosed.(2,3). PMID:26846691

A compressor for compression-evaporation cooling systems, which requires no moving parts. A gaseous refrigerant inside a chamber is acoustically compressed and conveyed by means of a standing acoustic wave which is set up in the gaseous refrigerant. This standing acoustic wave can be driven either by a transducer, or by direct exposure of the gas to microwave and infrared sources, including solar energy. Input and output ports arranged along the chamber provide for the intake and discharge of the gaseous refrigerant. These ports can be provided with optional valve arrangements, so as to increase the compressor's pressure differential. The performance of the compressor in either of its transducer or electromagnetically driven configurations, can be optimized by a controlling circuit. This controlling circuit holds the wavelength of the standing acoustical wave constant, by changing the driving frequency in response to varying operating conditions.

This work describes the evaluation of a wearable plastic optical fiber (POF) sensor for monitoring seated spinal posture, as compared to a conventional expert visual analysis, and the development of a field-deployable posture monitoring system. A garment-integrated POF sensor was developed and tested on nine healthy subjects. Data from the wearable sensor were compared to data taken simultaneously from a marker-based motion capture system, for accuracy and reliability. Peak analysis of the resulting data showed a mean time error of 0.53 plusmn 0.8 s, and a mean value error of 0.64 plusmn 3.1 deg, which represents 14.5% of the average range of motion. Expert determination of transitional (good to bad) posture showed a variation of 20.9% of range of motion. These results indicate that the wearable sensor approximates the accuracy of expert visual analysis, and provides sufficient accuracy of measurement to reliably monitor seated spinal posture. PMID:23852756

[Purpose] The visual system is one of the sensory systems that enables the body to assess and process information about the external environment. In the absence of vision, a blind person loses contact with the outside world and develops faulty motor patterns, which results in postural deficiencies. However, literature regarding the development of such deficiencies is limited. The aim of this study was to discuss the effect of absence of vision on posture, the possible biomechanics behind the resulting postural deficiencies, and strategies to correct and prevent them. [Subjects and Methods] Various electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, and Google scholar were examined using the words “body”, “posture”, “blind” and “absence of vision”. References in the retrieved articles were also examined for cross-references. The search was limited to articles in the English language. [Results] A total of 74 papers were shortlisted for this review, most of which dated back to the 1950s and 60s. [Conclusion] Blind people exhibit consistent musculoskeletal deformities. Absence of vision leads to numerous abnormal sensory and motor interactions that often limit blind people in isolation. Rehabilitation of the blind is a multidisciplinary task. Specialists from different fields need to diagnose and treat the deficiencies of the blind together as a team. Before restoring the normal mechanics of posture and gait, the missing link with the external world should be reestablished. PMID:27190486

Inferring relations between cognitive processes and postural control is a relatively topical challenge in developmental neurology. This study investigated the effect of a concurrent cognitive task on postural control in a sample of 50 nine-year-old children. Each subject completed two balance trials of 60 s, one with a concurrent cognitive task (cognitive load) and another with no cognitive load. The concurrent cognitive task consisted of mentally counting backwards in steps of 2. Twelve posturographic parameters (PPs) were extracted from the centre of pressure (CoP) trajectory obtained through a load cell force plate. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in the majority of the extracted PPs. CoP was found to travel faster, farther, and with substantially different features demonstrating an overall broadening of the spectrum in the frequency domain. Nonlinear stability factors revealed significant differences when exposed to a concurrent cognitive task, showing an increase of instability in the intervention rate of the postural control system. By grouping children through selected items from Teachers Ratings and PANESS assessment, specific significant differences were also found both in time and frequency domain PPs, thus confirming the hypothesis of an interaction between cognitive processes (and their development), and postural control. PMID:17136524

We assessed potential facilitation of congruent body posture on access to and retention of autobiographical memories in younger and older adults. Response times were shorter when body positions during prompted retrieval of autobiographical events were similar to the body positions in the original events than when body position was incongruent.…

Quadrupedality evolved four independent times in dinosaurs; however, the constraints associated with these transitions in limb anatomy and function remain poorly understood, in particular the evolution of forearm posture and rotational ability (i.e., active pronation and supination). Results of previous qualitative studies are inconsistent, likely due to an inability to quantitatively assess the likelihood of their conclusions. We attempt to quantify antebrachial posture and mobility using the radius bone because its morphology is distinct between extant sprawled taxa with a limited active pronation ability and parasagittal taxa that have an enhanced ability to actively pronate the manus. We used a sliding semi-landmark, outline-based geometric morphometric approach of the proximal radial head and a measurement of the angle of curvature of the radius in a sample of 189 mammals, 49 dinosaurs, 35 squamates, 16 birds, and 5 crocodilians. Our results of radial head morphology showed that quadrupedal ceratopsians, bipedal non-hadrosaurid ornithopods, and theropods had limited pronation/supination ability, and sauropodomorphs have unique radial head morphology that likely allowed limited rotational ability. However, the curvature of the radius showed that no dinosaurian clade had the ability to cross the radius about the ulna, suggesting parallel antebrachial elements for all quadrupedal dinosaurs. We conclude that the bipedal origins of all quadrupedal dinosaur clades could have allowed for greater disparity in forelimb posture than previously appreciated, and future studies on dinosaur posture should not limit their classifications to the overly simplistic extant dichotomy. PMID:24058633

The class of nonstationary braneworld models generated by the coupled gravitational and scalar fields is reviewed. The model represents a brane in a spacetime with single time and one large (infinite) and several small (compact) spacelike extra dimensions. In some particular cases the model has the solutions corresponding to the bulk gravi-scalar standing waves bounded by the brane. Pure gravitational localization mechanism of matter particles on the node of standing waves, where the brane is placed, is discussed. Cosmological applications of the model is also considered.

The objective of this study was to evaluate how different workstations may influence physical behavior in office work through motion and how that may affect spinal loads and discomfort. Twenty subjects performed a typing task in three different workstations (seated, standing, and perching) for one hour each. Measures of postural transitions, spinal loads, discomfort, and task performance were assessed in order to understand the effects of workstation interaction over time. Results indicated that standing had the most amount of motion (6-8 shifts/min), followed by perching (3-7 shifts/min), and then seating (<1 shift/min). Standing had the highest reports of discomfort and seating the least. However, spinal loads were highest in A/P shear during standing (190N posterior shear, 407N anterior shear) compared to perching (65N posterior shear, 288N anterior shear) and seating (106N posterior shear, 287 anterior shear). These loads are below the risk threshold for shear, but may still elicit a cumulative response. Perching may induce motion through supported mobility in the perching stool, whereas standing motion may be due to postural discomfort. Office workstation designs incorporating supported movement may represent a reasonable trade-off in the costs-benefits between seating and standing. PMID:27184325

[Purpose] The Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®) robot suit is a powered exoskeleton that can assist a user’s lower limb movement. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of HAL® in stroke rehabilitation, focusing on the change of the sit-to-stand (STS) movement pattern and standingposture. [Subjects and Methods] Five stroke patients participated in this study. Single leg HAL® was attached to each subject’s paretic lower limb. The subjects performed STS three times both with and without HAL® use. A tri-axial accelerometer was used to assess the STS movement pattern. Forward-tilt angle (FTA) and the time required for STS were measured with and without HAL® use. Surface electromyography (EMG) of STS and standing were recorded to assess the vastus medialis muscle activities of the paretic limb. [Results] The average FTA without HAL® use was 35° and it improved to 43° with HAL® use. The time required for STS was longer for all subjects with HAL® use (without HAL® use: 3.42 s, with HAL® use: 5.11 s). The integrated EMGs of HAL® use compared to those without HAL®, were 83.6% and 66.3% for STS and standing, respectively. [Conclusion] HAL® may be effective in improving STS and standing patterns of stroke patients. PMID:27390416

[Purpose] The Hybrid Assistive Limb(®) (HAL(®)) robot suit is a powered exoskeleton that can assist a user's lower limb movement. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of HAL(®) in stroke rehabilitation, focusing on the change of the sit-to-stand (STS) movement pattern and standingposture. [Subjects and Methods] Five stroke patients participated in this study. Single leg HAL(®) was attached to each subject's paretic lower limb. The subjects performed STS three times both with and without HAL(®) use. A tri-axial accelerometer was used to assess the STS movement pattern. Forward-tilt angle (FTA) and the time required for STS were measured with and without HAL(®) use. Surface electromyography (EMG) of STS and standing were recorded to assess the vastus medialis muscle activities of the paretic limb. [Results] The average FTA without HAL(®) use was 35° and it improved to 43° with HAL(®) use. The time required for STS was longer for all subjects with HAL(®) use (without HAL(®) use: 3.42 s, with HAL(®) use: 5.11 s). The integrated EMGs of HAL(®) use compared to those without HAL(®), were 83.6% and 66.3% for STS and standing, respectively. [Conclusion] HAL(®) may be effective in improving STS and standing patterns of stroke patients. PMID:27390416

Stroke rehabilitation is labor-intensive and time-consuming. To assist patients and therapists alike, we propose a wearable system that measures orientation and corrects arm posture using vibrotactile actuators. The system evaluates user posture with respect to a reference and gives feedback in the form of vibration patterns. Users correct their arm posture, one DOF at a time, by following a protocol starting from the shoulder up to the forearm. Five users evaluated the proposed system by replicating ten different postures. Experimental results demonstrated system robustness and showed that some postures were easier to mimic depending on their naturalness. PMID:21978912

Occurrence of postural defects has become very common now-a-days not only in general population but also in sports persons. There are various methods which can be used to assess these postural defects. These methods have evolved over a period of many years. This paper is first of its kind to summarize the methods of postural assessment which have been used and which can be used for evaluation of postural abnormalities in sports persons such as the visual observation, plumbline, goniometry, photographic, radiographic, photogrammetric, flexiruler, electromagnetic tracking device etc. We recommend more and more postural evaluation studies to be done in future based on the photogrammetric method. PMID:24959470

Using a mobile phone while doing another activity is a common dual-task activity in our daily lives. This study examined the effect of texting on the postural stability of young adults. Twenty college students were asked to perform static and dynamic postural stability tasks. Traditional COP and multivariate multiscale entropy (MMSE) were used to assess the static postural stability and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) was used to assess the dynamic postural stability. Results showed that (1) texting impaired postural stability, (2) the complexity index did not change much although the task conditions changed, and (3) performing texting is perceived to be more difficult. PMID:26230323

Using a mobile phone while doing another activity is a common dual-task activity in our daily lives. This study examined the effect of texting on the postural stability of young adults. Twenty college students were asked to perform static and dynamic postural stability tasks. Traditional COP and multivariate multiscale entropy (MMSE) were used to assess the static postural stability and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) was used to assess the dynamic postural stability. Results showed that (1) texting impaired postural stability, (2) the complexity index did not change much although the task conditions changed, and (3) performing texting is perceived to be more difficult. PMID:26230323

In order to account for the dynamic nature of balance, the concept of the 'extrapolated centre of mass' XcoM has been introduced (Hof et al., 2005). The law for standing balance was then formulated as: the XcoM should remain within the Base of Support (BoS). This law, however, does not take into account that the centre of pressure (CoP) needs time to displace due to various neural and mechanical delays. The theory is extended to include the finite reaction- and displacement time of the CoP. Experimental results on humans standing on two feet undergoing sudden postural perturbations are presented. In this case it turns out that the area of the effective BoS is only a fraction, some 30%, of the area of the static BoS. PMID:26892898

Our goal was to provide some insights into how the CNS controls and maintains an upright standingposture, which is an integral part of activities of daily living. Although researchers have used simple performance measures of maintenance of this posture quite effectively in clinical decision making, the mechanisms and control principles involved have not been clear. We propose a relatively simple control scheme for regulation of upright posture that provides almost instantaneous corrective response and reduces the operating demands on the CNS. The analytic model is derived and experimentally validated. A stiffness model was developed for quiet standing. The model assumes that muscles act as springs to cause the center-of-pressure (COP) to move in phase with the center-of-mass (COM) as the body sways about some desired position. In the sagittal plane this stiffness control exists at the ankle plantarflexors, in the frontal plane by the hip abductors/adductors. On the basis of observations that the COP-COM error signal continuously oscillates, it is evident that the inverted pendulum model is severely underdamped, approaching the undamped condition. The spectrum of this error signal is seen to match that of a tuned mass, spring, damper system, and a curve fit of this "tuned circuit" yields omega n the undamped natural frequency of the system. The effective stiffness of the system, Ke, is then estimated from Ke = I omega n2, and the damping B is estimated from B = BW X I, where BW is the bandwidth of the tuned response (in rad/s), and I is the moment of inertia of the body about the ankle joint. Ten adult subjects were assessed while standing quietly at three stance widths: 50% hip-to-hip distance, 100 and 150%. Subjects stood for 2 min in each position with eyes open; the 100% stance width was repeated with eyes closed. In all trials and in both planes, the COP oscillated virtually in phase (within 6 ms) with COM, which was predicted by a simple 0th order spring

By using a dummy weight during an arm-raising movement, we sought to determine whether (i) postural adjustments are modified and (ii) the required focal movement can be performed adequately. Standing on a force platform, 30 healthy young adults performed voluntary, arm-raising movements with cube-shaped boxes: a small 1 kg box, a large 4 kg box and a large 1 kg box (i.e. the dummy weight, which looked as if it weighed 4 kg). Postural adjustments were quantified in terms of the latency, intensity and duration of the positive phase of the vertical torque (Tz) and displacements of the center of pressure. Lifting the dummy and lifting the small 1 kg box were associated with similar arm velocity curves. The characteristics of the positive Tz phase for the dummy box were intermediate between those observed for the small 1 kg box and the large 4 kg box. There were no differences between the three box-lifting conditions in terms of the latency and duration of Tz. We conclude that overestimation of the dummy's mass was rapidly corrected by a feedback mechanism. Postural control was modified online as soon as the dummy's true weight was perceived, which therefore enabled the maintenance of balance and adequate execution of the voluntary (focal) movement. PMID:24933537

The study of human equilibrium, also known as postural stability, concerns different research sectors (medicine, kinesiology, biomechanics, robotics, sport) and is usually performed employing motion analysis techniques for recording human movements and posture. A wide range of techniques and methodologies has been developed, but the choice of instrumentations and sensors depends on the requirement of the specific application. Postural stability is a topic of great interest for the maritime community, since ship motions can make demanding and difficult the maintenance of the upright stance with hazardous consequences for the safety of people onboard. The need of capturing the motion of an individual standing on a ship during its daily service does not permit to employ optical systems commonly used for human motion analysis. These sensors are not designed for operating in disadvantageous environmental conditions (water, wetness, saltiness) and with not optimal lighting. The solution proposed in this study consists in a motion acquisition system that could be easily usable onboard ships. It makes use of two different methodologies: (I) motion capture with videogrammetry and (II) motion measurement with Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The developed image-based motion capture system, made up of three low-cost, light and compact video cameras, was validated against a commercial optical system and then used for testing the reliability of the inertial sensors. In this paper, the whole process of planning, designing, calibrating, and assessing the accuracy of the motion capture system is reported and discussed. Results from the laboratory tests and preliminary campaigns in the field are presented.

Orthostatic intolerance is the inability to tolerate the upright posture and is relieved by recumbence. It most commonly affects young women and has a major impact on quality of life and psychosocial well-being. Several forms of orthostatic intolerance have been described. The most common one is the recurrent vasovagal syncope (VVS) phenotype which presents as a transient and abrupt loss of consciousness and postural tone that is followed by rapid recovery. Another common type of orthostatic intolerance is the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) which is characterized by an excessive rise in heart rate upon standing and is associated with symptoms of presyncope such as light-headedness, fatigue, palpitations, and nausea. Maintenance of arterial pressure under condition of reduced central blood volume during the orthostasis is accomplished in large part through sympathetic efferent nerve traffic to the peripheral vasculature. Therefore sympathetic nervous system (SNS) dysfunction is high on the list of possible contributors to the pathophysiology of orthostatic intolerance. Investigations into the role of the SNS in orthostatic intolerance have yielded mixed results. This review outlines the current knowledge of the function of the SNS in both VVS and POTS. PMID:25120493

In clinical training of some lower back pain patients, teaching them to control their lumbar lordosis during lifting may be difficult. Therefore, another effective method for lifting technique is required. In standing, head cannot move without some compensating postural adjustment. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of head position on lifting posture. Fourteen healthy male volunteers (22.6 +/- 4.4 years old) lifted a case while maintaining two different head positions; a downward position and an upright position. In the upright position, activities of the latissimus dorsi and vastus lateralis significantly increased, and these of the biceps femoris significantly decreased during the initial 100 msec phase of lifting. There were no differences in the activities of the upper trapezius, lumbar extensor muscles (L3, L5), and obliquus abdominis under the two conditions. There were also no differences in the lumbar angle when the case was lifted. The flexion angles of the hip, knee, and ankle significantly increased, and the lumbar spine moved closer to the case. Lifting posture was influenced by the head position. Advantages included being able to shift loads on the body from the lower back to the legs, to move the lumbar spine closer to the case, and to relatively increase the moment of lumbar extension. The weight of the head as it moved upward and back, and the weight of the rear part of the body as it moved downward and forward helped to maintain balance. PMID:18551836

This study attempted to determine the influence of non-linear visual movements on our capacity to maintain postural control. An 8x8x8 foot CAVE immersive virtual environment was used. Body sway recordings were obtained for both head and lower back (lumbar 2-3) positions. The subjects were presented with visual stimuli for periods of 62.5 seconds. Subjects were asked to stand still on one foot while viewing stimuli consisting of multiplied sine waves generating movement undulation of a textured surface (waves moving in checkerboard pattern). Three wave amplitudes were tested: 4 feet, 2 feet, and 1 foot. Two viewing conditions were also used; observers looking at 36 inches in front of their feet; observers looking at a distance near the horizon. The results were compiled using an instability index and the data showed a profound and consistent effect of visual disturbances on postural balance in particular for the x (side-to-side) movement. We have demonstrated that non-linear visual distortions similar to those generated by progressive ophthalmic lenses of the kind used for presbyopia corrections, can generate significant postural instability. This instability is particularly evident for the side-to-side body movement and is most evident for the near viewing condition.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the intramuscular balance ratios of the upper trapezius muscle (UT) and the lower trapezius muscle (LT), and the intermuscular balance ratios of the UT and the serratus anterior muscle (SA) among prone extension (ProExt), prone horizontal abduction with external rotation (ProHAbd), forward flexion in the side-lying position (SideFlex), side-lying external rotation (SideEr), shoulder flexion with glenohumeral horizontal abduction load (FlexBand), and shoulder flexion with glenohumeral horizontal adduction load (FlexBall) in the standingposture. [Methods] The electromyographic (EMG) activities of the UT, LT and SA were measured during the tasks. The percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) was calculated for each muscle, and the UT/LT ratios and the UT/SA ratios were compared among the tasks. [Results] The UT/LT ratio with the FlexBand was not significantly different from those of the four exercises in the side-lying and prone postures. The UT/SA ratio with the FlexBall demonstrated appropriate balanced activity. [Conclusion] In an anti-gravity posture, we recommend the FlexBand and the FlexBall for inducing balanced UT/LT and UT/SA ratios, respectively. PMID:25540485

Localized muscle fatigue and postural perturbation have separately been shown to alter whole-body movement but little is known about how humans respond when subjected to both factors combined. Here we sought to quantify the kinematics of postural control and repetitive upper limb movement during standing surface perturbations and in the presence of fatigue. Subjects stood on a motion-based platform and repetitively reached between two shoulder-height targets until noticeably fatigued (rating of perceived exertion=8/10). Every minute, subjects experienced a posterior and an anterior platform translation while reaching to the distal target. Outcomes were compared prior to and with fatigue (first vs. final minute data). When fatigued, regardless of the perturbation condition, subjects decreased their shoulder abduction and increased contralateral trunk flexion, a strategy that may relieve the load on the fatiguing upper limb musculature. During perturbations, kinematic adaptations emerged across the trunk and arm to preserve task performance. In contrast to our expectation, the kinematic response to the perturbations did not alter in the presence of fatigue. Kinematic adaptations in response to the perturbation predominantly occurred in the direction of the reach whereas fatigue adaptations occurred orthogonal to the reach. These findings suggest that during repetitive reaching, fatigue and postural perturbation compensations organize so as to minimize interaction with each other and preserve the global task characteristics of endpoint motion. PMID:24054899

OBJECTIVE: To identify differences in postural control among healthy individuals with different architectural foot types. DESIGN AND SETTING: We compared postural control during single-leg stance in healthy individuals with cavus, rectus, and planus foot types in our athletic training research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Thirty healthy, young adults (15 men, 15 women; age, 21.9 +/- 2.0 years; mass, 71.6 +/- 16.7 kg; height, 168.4 +/- 13.6 cm) had their feet categorized based on rearfoot and forefoot alignment measures. The right and left feet of a subject could be classified into different categories, and each foot was treated as a subject. There were 19 cavus, 23 rectus, and 18 planus feet. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects performed three 10-second trials of single-leg stance on each leg with eyes open while standing on a force platform. Dependent measures were center-of-pressure (COP) excursion area and velocity. RESULTS: Subjects with cavus feet used significantly larger COP excursion areas than did subjects with rectus feet. However, COP excursion velocities were not significantly different among foot types. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and researchers assessing postural control in single-leg stance with measures of COP excursion area must be cognizant of preexisting differences among foot types. If individuals' foot types are not taken into account, the results of clinical and research investigations assessing COP excursion area after injury may be confounded. PMID:12937424

This longitudinal study aimed to compare static postural stability in women between early pregnancy, advanced pregnancy, and at 2 and 6 months postpartum. Forty-five pregnant women were enrolled and 31 completed the protocol. Data were collected at 7-16 and 34-39 weeks gestation, and at 6-10 and 26-30 weeks postpartum. For each subject, the center of foot pressure path length and mean velocity (with directional subcomponents) were computed from 30-s long quiet-standing trials on a stationary force plate with eyes open or closed. The body mass, stance width, and sleep duration within 24 h before testing were also recorded. Static postural stability was not different between pregnancy and postpartum, except for the anterior posterior sway tested in the eyes-closed condition, which was significantly increased in late pregnancy compared to that at 2 and 6 months postpartum. Pregnant/postpartum women's body mass weakly positively correlated with anterior-posterior sway in the eyes-closed condition and their stance width weakly positively correlated with the anterior-posterior sway in the eyes-open condition. No effect of sleep duration on postural sway was found. Our findings indicate that under visual deprivation conditions women in advanced pregnancy may have decreased static stability compared to their non-pregnant state. PMID:26053046

Postural instability and falls are commonly seen because of aging and motor disabilities. This study aims to assess the posture-related changes in brain functional connectivity by wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) of oxyhemoglobin concentration change (Δ[HbO2]) signals measured through near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in elderly subjects. The NIRS signals were continuously recorded from the prefrontal cortex and sensorimotor cortical areas in 39 healthy elderly subjects and 22 young healthy subjects during 20min resting and 10min standing states. Eight connection types were obtained from the recorded brain areas. The WPCO were calculated in five frequency intervals in each channel pair as follows: I, 0.6-2Hz; II, 0.145-0.6Hz; III, 0.052-0.145Hz; IV, 0.021-0.052Hz; and V, 0.0095-0.021Hz. Results show that posture change and age significantly interacts with the right prefrontal cortex (PFC) and left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) connectivity in interval V (F=5.010, p=0.028). The left and right PFC connectivity in interval I, the left and right SMC connectivity in interval IV, and the connectivity in interval V, including right PFC and right SMC connectivity, left PFC and left SMC connectivity, and right PFC and left SMC connectivity, showed a significant difference between the Group Elderly and Group Young in response to posture change (p<0.05). This study provides new insight into the mechanism of posture control, and results may be useful in assessing the risk of postural instability in aged persons. PMID:27335218

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the prefrontal cortex reduces the size and speed of standingpostural sway in younger adults, particularly when performing a cognitive dual task. Here, we hypothesized that tDCS would alter the complex dynamics of postural sway as quantified by multiscale entropy (MSE). Twenty healthy older adults completed two study visits. Center-of-pressure (COP) fluctuations were recorded during single-task (i.e., quiet standing) and dual-task (i.e., standing while performing serial subtractions) conditions, both before and after a 20-min session of real or sham tDCS. MSE was used to estimate COP complexity within each condition. The percentage change in complexity from single- to dual-task conditions (i.e., dual-task cost) was also calculated. Before tDCS, COP complexity was lower (p = 0.04) in the dual-task condition as compared to the single-task condition. Neither real nor sham tDCS altered complexity in the single-task condition. As compared to sham tDCS, real tDCS increased complexity in the dual-task condition (p = 0.02) and induced a trend toward improved serial subtraction performance (p = 0.09). Moreover, those subjects with lower dual-task COP complexity at baseline exhibited greater percentage increases in complexity following real tDCS (R = −0.39, p = 0.05). Real tDCS also reduced the dual-task cost to complexity (p = 0.02), while sham stimulation had no effect. A single session of tDCS targeting the prefrontal cortex increased standingpostural sway complexity with concurrent non-postural cognitive task. This form of noninvasive brain stimulation may be a safe strategy to acutely improve postural control by enhancing the system's capacity to adapt to stressors. PMID:25963755

Two algorithms for evaluating postural transitions (PTs) in cohorts of 40 healthy younger and 40 older adults are described and evaluated. The time of sit-to-stand (SiSt) and stand-to-sit (StSi) transitions and their duration were measured with two tri-axial accelerometers, one on the chest and one on the lower back. Each algorithm was optimized for these sensor placements. The first algorithm for sensor placement on the chest used a scalar product and vertical velocity estimates. The second algorithm for sensor placement on the lower back used a vector magnitude and a discrete wavelet transform. Both algorithms performed excellently in PT classification for younger and older adults (>86%). However, the chest based sensor and algorithm were better for estimating transition duration (TD) with ICCs to video analysis ranging from 0.678 to 0.969. PMID:25571421

Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is a poorly understood but important cause of orthostatic intolerance resulting from cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. PoTS is distinct from the syndromes of autonomic failure usually associated with orthostatic hypotension, such as pure autonomic failure and multiple system atrophy. Individuals affected by PoTS are mainly young (aged between 15 years and 40 years) and predominantly female. The symptoms--palpitations, dizziness and occasionally syncope--mainly occur when the patient is standing upright, and are often relieved by sitting or lying flat. Common stimuli in daily life, such as modest exertion, food ingestion and heat, are now recognized to be capable of exacerbating the symptoms. Onset of the syndrome can be linked to infection, trauma, surgery or stress. PoTS can be associated with various other disorders; in particular, joint hypermobility syndrome (also known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type, formerly termed Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type III). This Review describes the characteristics and neuroepidemiology of PoTS, and outlines possible pathophysiological mechanisms of this syndrome, as well as current and investigational treatments. PMID:22143364

The ability to adopt the properly corrected body posture is one of the factors determining the effectiveness of therapeutic programmes. This study determined the active self-correction expressed by the change of sagittal spinal curvatures (in standing and sitting positions) in 249 children (136 females, 113 males, aged 10-14 years) instructed with 'straighten your back' command (SYB). Spinal curvatures (sacral slope-SS, lumbar lordosis-LL, global, lower and upper thoracic kyphosis-TK, LK, UK, respectively) were assessed using Saunders inclinometer. The assessment was done in spontaneous standing and sitting positions and in the positions adopted after the SYB. In a standing position SYB led to the significant (P standing and UK in a sitting position. Females demonstrated a significant decrease in LL (P posture. Further studies are needed to determine if the active self-correction is different in females and males. PMID:24246905

Parents, educators and researchers have expressed concern about the long term impacts of children carrying excessive loads in their backpacks on a daily basis. Although many researchers have investigated appropriate weight limits for children's packs, little research has been conducted on the design of children's backpacks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in children's trunk forward lean (TFL), cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) and spinal lordosis angle (LA) that occurred with high, medium and low load locations during standing and walking. Ten-year-old children (n = 15) completed a repeated measures designed study while carrying 15% of each child's body weight in a typical backpack with only shoulder straps. A special instrumented backpack (IBP) was designed that allowed the weight to be placed in the proper location and continuously measure changes in spinal curvature. TFL and CVA postures were captured on digital video at five intervals including: standing without a backpack prior to a 1000 m walk; standing with a backpack at the beginning and end of a 1000 m walk; and walking with a backpack at the beginning and end of a 1000 m walk. Results indicated that significant changes occurred in TFL and CVA when the backpack was loaded to 15% body weight. The low load placement in the backpack produced fewer changes in CVA from the initial standing baseline measure than the high and mid placements. When all measures were assessed collectively, there were fewer changes in LA in the low load placement. These findings indicate that future backpack designs should place loads lower on the spine in order to minimize children's postural adaptations. PMID:19369727

Mobility characteristics associated with activity of daily living such as sitting down, lying down, rising up, and walking are considered to be important in maintaining functional independence and healthy life style especially for the growing elderly population. Characteristics of postural transitions such as sit-to-stand are widely used by clinicians as a physical indicator of health, and walking is used as an important mobility assessment tool. Many tools have been developed to assist in the assessment of functional levels and to detect a persons activities during daily life. These include questionnaires, observation, diaries, kinetic and kinematic systems, and validated functional tests. These measures are costly and time consuming, rely on subjective patient recall and may not accurately reflect functional ability in the patients home. In order to provide a low-cost, objective assessment of functional ability, inertial measurement unit (IMU) using MEMS technology has been employed to ascertain ADLs. These measures facilitate long-term monitoring of activity of daily living using wearable sensors. IMU system are desirable in monitoring human postures since they respond to both frequency and the intensity of movements and measure both dc (gravitational acceleration vector) and ac (acceleration due to body movement) components at a low cost. This has enabled the development of a small, lightweight, portable system that can be worn by a free-living subject without motion impediment  TEMPO (Technology Enabled Medical Precision Observation). Using this IMU system, we acquired indirect measures of biomechanical variables that can be used as an assessment of individual mobility characteristics with accuracy and recognition rates that are comparable to the modern motion capture systems. In this study, five subjects performed various ADLs and mobility measures such as posture transitions and gait characteristics were obtained. We developed postural event detection

Maintaining postural balance, overcoming visual and motor coordination disorders and experiencing problems with low general fitness - typical of intellectually disabled individuals - adversely affect the performance quality of their activities of daily living (ADLs). Physical fitness and postural balance can be improved by taking part in special intervention programs. Our study was designed to test whether extending the dual-task intervention program (combining ADLs with balance exercises on unstable surfaces) from 12 to 24 weeks additionally improved postural balance in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). We also attempted to assess whether the effects of the above intervention program were still noticeable after 8 weeks of holidays, in which participants did not take any rehabilitation exercises. A total of 34 adolescents, aged 14-16 years (15.06±0.9), with moderate ID took part in our study. The experimental group (E) consisted of 17 individuals, who continued the intervention program originated 3 months earlier, and the control group (C) comprised the same number of participants. Postural balance was assessed on a stabilometric platform Alfa. Having extended the workout period by another 12 weeks, we noticed that the path length of the center of pressure (COP) covered by participants on tests with their eyes open and closed significantly shortened. After a lapse of 8 weeks from the completion of the program, the experimental group revealed a statistically significant decrease in the velocity along the medio-lateral (M/L) and anterior-posterior (A/P) axes. The remaining variables stayed at the same level and the control group did not demonstrate any statistically significant changes. Dual-task exercises, in which enhancing functional tasks of daily living is combined with a parallel stimulation of balance reactions, may improve static balance in persons with ID. PMID:25553534

Physiological aging leads to a progressive weakening of muscles and tendons, thereby disturbing the ability to control postural balance and consequently increasing exposure to the risks of falls. Here, we introduce a simple and easy-to-use neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training paradigm designed to alleviate the postural control deficit in the elderly, the first hallmarks of which present as functional impairment. Nine pre-frail older women living in a long-term care facility performed 4 weeks of NMES training on their plantarflexor muscles, and seven nontrained, non-frail older women living at home participated in this study as controls. Participants were asked to perform maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) during isometric plantarflexion in a lying position. Musculo-tendinous (MT) stiffness was assessed before and after the NMES training by measuring the displacement of the MT junction and related tendon force during MVC. In a standing position, the limit of stability (LoS) performance was determined through the maximal forward displacement of the center of foot pressure, and related postural sway parameters were computed around the LoS time gap, a high force requiring task. The NMES training induced an increase in MVC, MT stiffness, and LoS. It significantly changed the dynamics of postural balance as a function of the tendon property changes. The study outcomes, together with a multivariate analysis of investigated variables, highlighted the benefits of NMES as a potential tool in combating neuromuscular weakening in the elderly. The presented training-based strategy is valuable in alleviating some of the adverse functional consequences of aging by directly acting on intrinsic biomechanical and muscular properties whose improvements are immediately transferable into a functional context. PMID:26229006

Objective Hyperkyphosis (excess thoracic spine curvature) is associated with upper-extremity functional limitations and altered scapular posturing. The purpose of this study was to quantify the changes in upper-extremity function and scapular posturing following a 6-month yogaintervention in persons with hyperkyphosis. Methods Twenty-one older adults with hyperkyphosis (75.5+7.4 yrs) enrolled in the UCLA Yoga for Kyphosis randomized controlled trial, elected to participate in this uncontrolled, prepost substudy of upper-extremity function. They were measured at baseline and after a 24-week yoga intervention. Maximum vertical reach and timed book tests were used to evaluate upper-extremity function. Scapular posturing was quantified using a motion analysis system and data was obtained under 4 conditions: 1) quiet-standing, 2) normal walking, 3) fast walking, and 4) seated. Paired t-tests were used to test for changes between baseline and 6-month follow-up measures and Cohen’s d was calculated to examine effect sizes. Results Following the 6-month yoga intervention, participants improved their book test performance by 26.4% (p < 0.001; d = 1.5). Scapular protraction decreased by 2.9% during the static-sitting condition (p < 0.001; d = 0.5) and the overall excursion of the scapulae decreased for both fast (25.0%, p < 0.05; d = 0.6) and self-selected walking (29.4%, p < 0.01; d = 0.9). There were no changes in maximum vertical reach. Conclusion Subjects demonstrated significant improvements with small to large effect sizes in the timed book test and scapular posturing to a less protracted position during both static and dynamic conditions after the intervention. These adaptations are likely to reduce the risk of scapular impingement and help preserve functional independence in older adults. PMID:24678442

The risk of falls from height on a construction site increases under conditions which degrade workers' postural control. At elevation, workers depend heavily on sensory information from their feet to maintain balance. The study tested two hypotheses: "sensory enhancement"--sub-sensory (undetectable) random mechanical vibrations at the plantar surface of the feet can improve worker's balance at elevation; and "sensory suppression"--supra-sensory (detectable) random mechanical vibrations can have a degrading effect on balance in the same experimental settings. Six young (age 20-35) and six aging (age 45-60) construction workers were tested while standing in standard and semi-tandem postures on instrumented gel insoles. The insoles applied sub- or supra-sensory levels of random mechanical vibrations to the feet. The tests were conducted in a surround-screen virtual reality system, which simulated a narrow plank at elevation on a construction site. Upper body kinematics was assessed with a motion-measurement system. Postural stability effects were evaluated by conventional and statistical mechanics sway measures, as well as trunk angular displacement parameters. Analysis of variance did not confirm the "sensory enhancement" hypothesis, but provided evidence for the "sensory suppression" hypothesis. The supra-sensory vibration had a destabilizing effect, which was considerably stronger in the semi-tandem posture and affected most of the sway variables. Sensory suppression associated with elevated vibration levels on a construction site may increase the danger of losing balance. Construction workers at elevation, e.g., on a beam or narrow plank might be at increased risk of fall if they can detect vibrations under their feet. To reduce the possibility of losing balance, mechanical vibration to supporting structures used as walking/working surfaces should be minimized when performing construction tasks at elevation. PMID:21071015

Deficits of postural control and perceptions of verticality are disabling problems observed in stroke patients that have been recently correlated to each other. However, there is no evidence in the literature confirming this relationship with quantitative posturography analysis. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to analyze the relationship between Subjective Postural Vertical (SPV) and Haptic Vertical (HV) with posturography and functionality in stroke patients. We included 45 stroke patients. The study protocol was composed by clinical interview, evaluation of SPV and HV in roll and pitch planes and posturography. Posturography was measured in the sitting and standing positions under the conditions: eyes open, stable surface (EOSS); eyes closed, stable surface (ECSS); eyes open, unstable surface (EOUS); and eyes closed, unstable surface (ECUS). The median PV in roll plane was 0.34° (-1.44° to 2.54°) and in pitch plane 0.36° (-2.72° to 2.45°). The median of HV in roll and pitch planes were -0.94° (-5.86° to 3.84°) and 3.56° (-0.68° to 8.36°), respectively. SPV in the roll plane was correlated with all posturagraphy parameters in sitting position in all conditions (r = 0.35 to 0.47; p < 0.006). There were moderate correlations with the verticality perceptions and all the functional scales. Linear regression model showed association between speed and SPV in the roll plane in the condition EOSS (R2 of 0.37; p = 0.005), in the condition ECSS (R2 of 0.13; p = 0.04) and in the condition EOUS (R2 of 0.22; p = 0.03). These results suggest that verticality perception is a relevant component of postural control and should be systematically evaluated, particularly in patients with abnormal postural control. PMID:26954679

Deficits of postural control and perceptions of verticality are disabling problems observed in stroke patients that have been recently correlated to each other. However, there is no evidence in the literature confirming this relationship with quantitative posturography analysis. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to analyze the relationship between Subjective Postural Vertical (SPV) and Haptic Vertical (HV) with posturography and functionality in stroke patients. We included 45 stroke patients. The study protocol was composed by clinical interview, evaluation of SPV and HV in roll and pitch planes and posturography. Posturography was measured in the sitting and standing positions under the conditions: eyes open, stable surface (EOSS); eyes closed, stable surface (ECSS); eyes open, unstable surface (EOUS); and eyes closed, unstable surface (ECUS). The median PV in roll plane was 0.34° (-1.44° to 2.54°) and in pitch plane 0.36° (-2.72° to 2.45°). The median of HV in roll and pitch planes were -0.94° (-5.86° to 3.84°) and 3.56° (-0.68° to 8.36°), respectively. SPV in the roll plane was correlated with all posturagraphy parameters in sitting position in all conditions (r = 0.35 to 0.47; p < 0.006). There were moderate correlations with the verticality perceptions and all the functional scales. Linear regression model showed association between speed and SPV in the roll plane in the condition EOSS (R2 of 0.37; p = 0.005), in the condition ECSS (R2 of 0.13; p = 0.04) and in the condition EOUS (R2 of 0.22; p = 0.03). These results suggest that verticality perception is a relevant component of postural control and should be systematically evaluated, particularly in patients with abnormal postural control. PMID:26954679

Objective: The study was conducted to assess the postural awareness of dental students in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Close-ended, self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection in the survey. The questionnaire was prepared by observing the positions of students working in the clinics and the common mistakes they make with regard to their postures. The questionnaires were distributed among the dental students who were present and reported to work in the clinics. Levels of postural awareness and the relationship between postural awareness and the degree of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) among the students was evaluated. This study was carried out in the College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Jizan. Statistical Analysis: The level of knowledge of postural awareness was evaluated and correlated with the presence or absence of the MSDs. Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test. P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 162 dental students from the age group of 20–25 years were included in the survey, of which 134 dentists responded (83%). When their postural awareness was evaluated, results showed that 89% of the students had poor-to-medium levels of postural awareness. The relation between postural awareness and prevalence of MSDs indicated that 75% of the students with poor awareness, 49% of the students with average awareness, and 40% of the students with good awareness have MSDs. The results were statistically significant (0.002127, which is <0.005) stating that better awareness about proper postures while working helps to minimize the risk of MSDs. Conclusion: Evaluation of levels of postural awareness showed that 21% of the students had poor postural awareness, 67% had average awareness, and 11% had good postural awareness. The analysis of results showed that those students with low-to-average postural awareness had significantly greater prevalence of MSDs. PMID

Ignorance about dyslexia meant a miserable school experience for Barrie Hughes. He was in his 50s when he found the courage to stand up in front of a classroom of learners and admit he couldn't read. Barrie, who is now 59 and works for the parks department of Brighton and Hove Council, only began to learn how to read words in the last three years…

Posture monitoring and correction technologies can support prevention and treatment of spinal pain or can help detect and avoid compensatory movements during the neurological rehabilitation of upper extremities, which can be very important to ensure their effectiveness. We describe the design and development of Smart Rehabilitation Garment (SRG) a wearable system designed to support posture correction. The SRG combines a number of inertial measurement units (IMUs), controlled by an Arduino processor. It provides feedback with vibration on the garment, audible alarm signals and visual instruction through a Bluetooth connected smartphone. We discuss the placement of sensing modules, the garment design, the feedback design and the integration of smart textiles and wearable electronics which aimed at achieving wearability and ease of use. We report on the system's accuracy as compared to optical tracker method. PMID:26737595

For people with Parkinson's disease (PD), gait and postural impairments can significantly affect their ability to perform activities of daily living. Presentation of appropriate cues has been shown to improve gait in PD. Based on this, a treadmill-based system and experimental paradigm were developed to determine if people with PD can utilize real-time feedback (RTFB) of step length or back angle (uprightness) to improve gait and posture. Eleven subjects (mean age 67 ± 8 years) with mild-to-moderate PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage I-III) were evaluated regarding their ability to successfully utilize RTFB of back angle or step length during quiet standing and treadmill walking tasks during a single session in their medication-on state. Changes in back angle and step length due to feedback were compared using Friedman nonparametric tests with Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests for post-hoc comparisons. Improvements in uprightness were observed as an increase in back angle during quiet standing (p = 0.005) and during treadmill walking (p = 0.005) with back angle feedback when compared to corresponding tasks without feedback. Improvements in gait were also observed as an increase in step length (p = 0.005) during step length feedback compared to tasks without feedback. These results indicate that people with mild-to-moderate PD can utilize RTFB to improve upright posture and gait. Future work will investigate the long-term effects of this RTFB paradigm and the development of systems for clinical or home-based use. PMID:26316235

Objective measures of postural control that are sensitive to Parkinson's Disease (PD) progression would improve patient care and accelerate clinical trials. Although measures of postural sway during quiet stance in untreated PD have been shown to differ from age-matched control subjects, it is not known if sway measures change with disease progression in early PD. In this pilot study, we asked whether accelerometer-based metrics of sway could provide a practical tool for monitoring progression of postural dyscontrol in people with untreated or newly treated PD. We examined 13 subjects with PD and 12 healthy, age-matched control subjects. The PD subjects had been recently diagnosed and had not started any antiparkinsonian medications at the baseline session. All subjects were tested 3-to-6 months and 12 months after the baseline session. Subjects were asked to stand quietly for two minutes while wearing an inertial sensor on their posterior trunk that measured trunk linear acceleration. Our results suggested that objective sway measures deteriorated over one year despite minimal changes in UPDRS motor scores. Medio-lateral (ML) sway measures were more sensitive than antero-posterior sway measures in detecting progression. The ML JERK was larger in the PD group than the control group across all three testing sessions. The ML sway dispersion and ML sway velocity were also significantly higher in PD compared to control subjects by the 12-month evaluation. It is feasible to measure progression of PD prior to onset of treatment using accelerometer-based measures of quiet standing. PMID:22750016

The effects of posture and vibration magnitude on the vertical apparent mass and the fore-and-aft cross-axis apparent mass of the standing human body during exposure to vertical vibration have been investigated. Twelve male subjects were exposed to random vertical vibration over the frequency range 2.0-20 Hz at three vibration magnitudes: 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 m s -2 rms. Subjects stood in five different postures: upright, lordotic, anterior lean, knees bent and knees more bent. The vertical acceleration at the floor and the forces in the vertical and fore-and-aft directions at the floor were used to obtain the apparent mass and the cross-axis apparent mass. The resonance frequency of the apparent mass was significantly reduced with knees bent and knees more bent postures, but there were only minor effects on the resonance frequency by changing the position of the upper body. Considerable cross-axis apparent mass, up to about 30% of the static mass of subjects, was found. The cross-axis apparent mass was influenced by all postural changes used in the study. In all postures the resonance frequencies of the apparent mass and the cross-axis apparent mass tended to decrease with increasing vibration magnitude. This nonlinear characteristic tended to be less clear in some postures in which subjects increased muscle tension.

Calculations of specific energy absorption rate (SAR) have been performed on the rescaled NORMAN 7-y-old voxel model and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) child 7-y-old voxel model in the standing arms down, arms up and sitting postures. These calculations were for plane-wave exposure under isolated and grounded conditions between 10 MHz and 3 GHz. It was found that there was little difference at each resonant frequency between the whole-body averaged SAR values calculated for the NORMAN and ETRI 7-y-old models for each of the postures studied. However, when compared with the arms down posture, raising the arms increased the SAR by up to 25%. Electric field values required to produce the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers public basic restriction were calculated, and compared with reference levels for the different child models and postures. These showed that, under certain worst-case exposure conditions, the reference levels may not be conservative. PMID:19589878

A normal motion and segmental interrelationship has been determined as a significant factor in normal function. Yet, the relationship between distal segments and pelvic alignment needs further investigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between distal and proximal lower extremity segments while standing and during induced feet hyperpronation. Changes in alignment of the pelvis and lower extremities were measured at a gait laboratory using the VICON 612 computerized motion analysis system. Thirty-five healthy volunteer subjects were recruited. Four randomized repeated-measure standing modes were used: standing directly on the floor and then on three wedges angled at 10°, 15° and 20° to induce bilateral hyperpronation for 20 seconds. A significant (p<0.05) bi-variate relationship was found between the anterior pelvic tilt and thigh internal rotation, in all four standing positions (.41≤r≤.46, in all p<0.014). A combined effect of rotational alignment between segments and the cumulative effect of foot hyperpronation on pelvic tilt revealed that only the shank significantly affected pelvic alignment, acting as a mediator between a foot and a thigh with the thigh having a crude significant effect on the pelvis. When internal rotation of the shank occurs, calcaneal eversion couples with thigh internal rotation and anterior pelvic tilt. It can be concluded that in response to induced hyperpronation, the shank is a pivotal segment in postural adjustment. PMID:26240652

High fall rates causing injury and enormous financial costs are reported for children. However, only few studies investigated the effects of balance training in children and these studies did not find enhanced balance performance in postural (transfer) tests. Consequently, it was previously speculated that classical balance training might not be stimulating enough for children to adequately perform these exercises. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of ice skating as an alternative form of balance training. Volunteers of an intervention (n = 17; INT: 13.1 ± 0.4 years) and a control group (n = 13; CON: 13.2 ± 0.3 years) were tested before and after training in static and dynamic postural transfer tests. INT participated in eight sessions of ice skating during education lessons, whereas CON participated in normal physical education. Enhanced balance performance was observed in INT but not in CON when tested on an unstable free-swinging platform (P postural tasks that were not part of the training. PMID:24739083

The postural sway responses of 63 children with a mean age of 5.74 years were quantified with a Force Platform technique. The average maximum (max) blood lead (PbB) of these children during the first 5 years of life was 20.7 micrograms/dL (range 9.2 to 32.5). The backward stepwise regression analysis for sway area response during the eyes-closed, no-foam test with all the covariates and confounders and the PbB parameters showed a significant relationship with peak or max PbB during the second year of life. These results are consistent with our previous study with a smaller group of children. The data have been analyzed to provide some insight into the role of various afferent for the maintenance of postural balance. The results suggests a hypothesis that if the max PbB had caused some level of impairment in the functional capacities or interconnectivity of the vestibular and/or proprioception systems at 2 years of age, then it is reasonable to assume that the redundancy in the postural afferent systems would naturally adapt to rely more on the remaining intact afferent system (in this case, vision). PMID:2088753

Touch and pressure stimulation of the body surface can strongly influence apparent body orientation, as well as the maintenance of upright posture during quiet stance. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between postural sway and contact forces at the fingertip while subjects touched a rigid metal bar. Subjects were tested in the tandem Romberg stance with eyes open or closed under three conditions of fingertip contact: no contact, touch contact (< 0.98 N of force), and force contact (as much force as desired). Touch contact was as effective as force contact or sight of the surroundings in reducing postural sway when compared to the no contact, eyes closed condition. Body sway and fingertip forces were essentially in phase with force contact, suggesting that fingertip contact forces are physically counteracting body sway. Time delays between body sway and fingertip forces were much larger with light touch contact, suggesting that the fingertip is providing information that allows anticipatory innervation of musculature to reduce body sway. The results are related to observations on precision grip as well as the somatosensory, proprioceptive, and motor mechanisms involved in the reduction of body sway.

The computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) test examines the response pattern to simultaneous, multimodal sensory stimulation. The purpose of this prospective, controlled study was to investigate whether postural dynamics evaluated by CDP are related to seasickness severity and the process of habituation to sea conditions. Subjects included 74 naval personnel assigned to service aboard ship and 29 controls designated for shore-based positions. Study participants performed a baseline CDP test, and subsequent follow-up examinations 6 and 12 months after completion of their training. On those occasions they also completed a seasickness severity questionnaire. Longitudinal changes in postural parameters were examined, as well as a possible correlation between baseline CDP results and final seasickness severity scores. The results indicated longitudinal habituation to seasickness. Reduced scores were found for sensory organization sub-tests 3 and 5 in the first follow-up examination, reflecting increased weighting of visual and somatosensory input in the maintenance of balance. Scores in the second follow-up examination were above baseline values, indicating increased reliance on vestibular cues. These significant bimodal changes were found only in study subjects having the highest degree of habituation to seasickness. A significant decrease in motor response strength was found in parallel with increased habituation to seasickness. Baseline CDP results and postural control dynamics were not correlated with subjects' final seasickness severity score. These results suggest a potential role for CDP in monitoring the process of habituation to unusual motion conditions. PMID:20493235

Although a number of studies have evaluated kinematic stability changes in subjects with low back pain (LBP), the combined sensitivity of normalized standing stability from the ground force and kinematic rotational angle of the body segment were not carefully examined for postural responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate normalized standing stability in subjects with and without recurrent LBP while they stood quietly with the tested foot parallel to the other lower extremity at hip width. The subjects were then instructed to stand freely on one leg for 25 s with the contra lateral hip flexed 90° based on dominance side (dominant leg vs. non-dominant lower extremity) and visual condition (eyes open vs. eyes closed). A total of 42 subjects (27 subjects without LBP and 15 subjects with LBP) participated in the study. The dominant leg standing stability was significantly different during the eyes closed condition (0.68±0.30 for control vs. 0.37±0.32 for LBP, T=-3.23, p=0.002) compared to the eyes open condition. The standing kinematic stability, especially of the dominant thigh, was greater in the control subjects than in the subjects with LBP (T=-2.43, p=0.02). This sensitive detection of kinematic imbalance with postural stability is important for effective rehabilitation strategies and to understanding compensatory mechanisms in subjects with recurrent LBP. PMID:22717729

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mechanical contribution of ankle muscles in the upright stance differed among young adults (YA) (n=10, age: ~24.3), elderly non-fallers (ENF) (n=12, age: ~77.3) and elderly fallers (EF) (n=20, age: ~80.7). Torque and electromyographic (EMG) activity were recorded on the triceps surae and tibialis anterior during maximum and submaximum contractions in the seated position. EMG activity was also recorded in subjects standing still. Plantar flexor (PF) and dorsal flexor (DF) torques generated in the upright posture were estimated from the torque-EMG relationship obtained during submaximum contractions in the seated position. Center of pressure (CoP) displacement was measured to quantify postural stability. Results showed that, in upright standing, EF generated greater ankle muscle relative torque (i.e. PF+DF torque in the upright stance/PF+DF during maximum isometric torque) than non-fallers (i.e. ENF, YA). The greater involvement of ankle muscles in EF was associated with higher CoP displacement. PF+DF torque in the upright stance was no different among the groups, but PF+DF torque during maximum effort was impaired in older groups compared with YA and was lower in EF than ENF. These results suggest that the postural stability impairment observed with aging is highly related to ankle muscle weakness. PMID:26899564

A long-standing critique of adolescent employment is that it engenders a precocious maturity of more adult-like roles and behaviors, including school disengagement, substance use, sexual activity, inadequate sleep and exercise, and work-related stress. Though negative effects of high-intensity work on adolescent adjustment have been found, little…

Standing down is an action the military takes to review, regroup, and reorganize. Unfortunately, it often comes after an accident or other tragic event. To stop losses, the military will "stand down" until they are confident they can resume safe operations. Standing down is good for everyone, not just the military. In today's fast-paced world,…

A method for measurement of lip incompetence is described. Electromyographic techniques were used to obtain relaxation of the muscles of the lip and of a jaw elevator muscle. Standardized photographs were taken of the subject's profile, from which lip separation and face height were measured. Variation was found in successive measurements of lip posture, some of which appeared to depend upon mandibular posture. With the teeth in occlusion, lip separation was reduced. Active maintenance of lip contact by the subject was often associated with a reduction in lower face height, which may have been a direct consequence of the lip muscle activity, or of jaw elevator activity facilitating the lip closure. PMID:280639

Some of the cardiovascular changes associated with spaceflight have similarities to those associated with aging. We studied the neuroendocrine and hemodynamic responses to upright posture in a 77 year old astronaut before and after spaceflight and compared them to those of a group of 20 younger (41 plus or minus 1 years) astronauts. While arterial pressure responses to standing were similar between the young and old astronauts, hemodynamic profiles were quite different. The elderly astronaut achieved adequate standing arterial pressure primarily by maintaining stroke volume and thus cardiac output. In spite of very high norepinephrine release, he had very little increase in heart rate or total peripheral resistance. This pattern persisted on all test occasions. These responses suggest high sympathetic responses, down-regulated adrenergic receptors and decreased venous compliance typical of aging. In contrast, younger astronauts did not maintain stroke volume or cardiac output with standing, but had significant increases in heart rate and resistance. These results suggest that this elderly subject had cardiovascular responses to standing that are expected in an aged person. These responses were not deleteriously affected by spaceflight. We suggest that healthy, fit elderly individuals are able to withstand the stresses of extreme environments and are not necessarily limited in their activities simply due to their chronological age.

It has recently been shown that motor units in human medial gastrocnemius (MG), activated during standing, occupy relatively small territories along the muscle's longitudinal axis. Such organisation provides potential for different motor tasks to produce differing regional patterns of activity. Here, we investigate whether postural control and nerve electrical stimulation produce equal longitudinal activation patterns in MG. Myoelectric activity, at different proximal-distal locations of MG, was recorded using a linear electrode array. To ensure differences in signal amplitude between channels did not result from local, morphological factors two experimental protocols were completed: (i) quiet standing; (ii) electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve. Averaged, rectified values (ARVs) were calculated for each channel in each condition. The distribution of signals along electrode channels was described using linear regression and differences between protocols at each channel determined as the ratio between mean ARV from standing: stimulation protocols. Ratio values changed systematically across electrode channels in seven (of eight) participants, with larger values in distal channels. The distribution of ARV along MG therefore differed between experimental conditions. Compared to fibres of units activated during MG nerve stimulation, units activated during standing may have a tendency to be more highly represented in the distal muscle portion. PMID:22967836

The High Brightness Test Stand is a 2 MeV, less than or equal to 10 kA electron accelerator module. This accelerator module, designed as an upgrade prototype for the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA), combines solid state nonlinear magnetic drives with state-of-the-art induction linac technology. The facility serves a dual role, as it not only provides a test bed for this new technology, but is used to develop high brightness electron optics. We will both further describe the accelerator, as well as present some of the preliminary electron optics measurements.

Abstract The practice of dentistry involves laborious high finesse dental preparations, precision and control in executions that require a particular attention, concentration and patience of the dentist and finally the dentist’s physical and mental resistance. The optimal therapeutic approach and the success of practice involve special working conditions for the dentist and his team in an ergonomic environment. The meaning of the posture in ergonomics is the manner in which different parts of the body are located and thus the reports are established between them in order to allow a special task execution. This article discusses the posture adopted by dentists when they work, beginning with the balanced posture and going to different variants of posture. The ideal posture of a dentist gives him, on the one hand the optimal working conditions (access, visibility and control in the mouth) and on the other hand, physical and psychological comfort throughout the execution of the clinical acts. Although the theme of dentist posture is treated with great care and often presented in the undergraduate courses and the continuing education courses on ergonomics in dentistry, many dentists do not know the subject well enough nor the theoretical issues and therefore nor the practical applicability. The risk and perspective of the musculoskeletal disorders related to unbalanced postures should determine the dentists take postural corrective actions and compensation measures in order to limit the negative effects of working in a bad posture. PMID:25184007

The aim of this study was to explore whether a short postural training period could affect postural stability in dyslexic children. Postural performances were evaluated using Multitest Equilibre from Framiral. Posture was recorded in three different viewing conditions (eyes open fixating a target, eyes closed and eyes open with perturbed vision) and in two different postural conditions (on stable and unstable support). Two groups of dyslexic children participated in the study, i.e. G1: 16 dyslexic participants (mean age 9.9 ± 0.3 years) who performed short postural training and G2: 16 dyslexic participants of similar ages (mean age 9.1 ± 0.3 years) who did not perform any short postural training. Findings showed that short postural training improved postural stability on unstable support surfaces with perturbed vision: indeed the surface, the mean velocity of CoP and the spectral power indices in both directions decreased significantly, and the cancelling time in the antero-posterior direction improved significantly. Such improvement could be due to brain plasticity, which allows better performance in sensory process and cerebellar integration. PMID:26162071

Anterior hip pain is common in young, active adults. Clinically, we have noted that patients with anterior hip pain often walk in a swayback posture, and that their pain is reduced when the posture is corrected. The purpose of this study was to investigate a potential mechanism for the reduction in pain by testing the effect of posture on movement patterns and internal moments during gait in healthy subjects. Fifteen subjects were instructed to walk while maintaining three postures: 1) natural, 2) swayback, and 3) forward flexed. Kinematic and force data were collected using a motion capture system and a force plate. Walking in the swayback posture resulted in a higher peak hip extension angle, hip flexor moment and hip flexion angular impulse compared to natural posture. In contrast, walking in a forward flexed posture resulted in a decreased hip extension angle and decreased hip flexion angular impulse. Based on these results, walking in a swayback posture may result in increased forces required of the anterior hip structures, potentially contributing to anterior hip pain. This study provides a potential biomechanical mechanism for clinical observations that posture correction in patients with hip pain is beneficial. PMID:25262565

Objective This study describes the frequency and distribution of potentially risky postural behaviors of keyboard users. Method Forty-three subjects’ keyboard postural behaviors were rated with the Keyboard – Personal Computer Style instrument (K-PeCS) while they worked at their own workstations. The frequency and distribution of keyboard postural behaviors, and the associations and differences between the right and left sides were assessed. Results Generally, each static body posture had a single criterion that occurred most frequently, (e.g. elbow flexion posture 80 – 120 degrees), while dynamic postures of the wrists and hands were distributed throughout their criteria. Right and left side postural behaviors were significantly associated for shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, hand displacement, wrist extension, forearm rotation, isolated 5th digit, MCP hyperextension, and wrist support use, and significantly different for hand displacement, isolated thumb, number of digits used, and MCP hyperextension. Conclusion Potentially problematic keyboard postural behaviors are common among keyboard users. Our results suggest that occupational therapists must systematically assess body, arm, wrist, and hand postures on both the right and left sides to be able to develop the most effective intervention strategies. PMID:19708467

[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on the effect of different insoles on postural balance. [Subjects and Methods] A systematic review was conducted of four databases. The papers retrieved were evaluated based on the following inclusion criteria: 1) design: controlled clinical trial; 2) intervention: insole; 3) outcome: change in static postural balance; and 4) year of publication: 2005 to 2012. [Results] Twelve controlled trials were found comparing the effects of different insoles on postural balance. The papers had methodological quality scores of 3 or 4 on the PEDro scale. [Conclusion] Insoles have benefits that favor better postural balance and control. PMID:24259792

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of head compensatory postures to ensure safe oropharyngeal transit. METHODS: A total of 321 dysphagia patients were enrolled and assessed with videofluoromanometry (VFM). The dysphagia patients were classified as follows: safe transit; penetration without aspiration; aspiration before, during or after swallowing; multiple aspirations and no transit. The patients with aspiration or no transit were tested with VFM to determine whether compensatory postures could correct their swallowing disorder. RESULTS: VFM revealed penetration without aspiration in 71 patients (22.1%); aspiration before swallowing in 17 patients (5.3%); aspiration during swallowing in 32 patients (10%); aspiration after swallowing in 21 patients (6.5%); multiple aspirations in six patients (1.9%); no transit in five patients (1.6%); and safe transit in 169 patients (52.6%). Compensatory postures guaranteed a safe transit in 66/75 (88%) patients with aspiration or no transit. A chin-down posture achieved a safe swallow in 42/75 (56%) patients, a head-turned posture in 19/75 (25.3%) and a hyperextended head posture in 5/75 (6.7%). The compensatory postures were not effective in 9/75 (12%) cases. CONCLUSION: VFM allows the speech-language the-rapist to choose the most effective compensatory posture without a trial-and-error process and check the effectiveness of the posture. PMID:22736921

Touching a stable object with a fingertip using slight force (<1 N) stabilizes standingposture independent of mechanical support, which is referred to as the effect of light touch (LT). In the neural mechanism of the effect of LT, the specific contribution of the cortical brain activity toward the effect of LT remains undefined, particularly the contribution toward steady-state postural sway. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cortical region responsible for the reduction of postural sway in response to the effect of LT. Active LT was applied with the right fingertip and transcranial direct current stimulation (sham or cathodal) was applied to the left primary sensorimotor cortex or the left posterior parietal cortex in the two groups. The experiments were conducted using a single-blind sham-controlled crossover design. Steady-state postural sway was compared with the factors of transcranial direct current stimulation (sham or cathodal) and time (pre or post). In the results, the effect of LT reduced postural stability in the mediolateral direction after cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the left posterior parietal cortex. No effect was observed after stimulation of the left primary sensorimotor cortex. This indicates that the left posterior parietal cortex is partly responsible for the effect of LT when touching a fixed point with the right fingertip during suprapostural tasks, where posture is adjusted according to the precision requirements. Cortical processing of sensory integration for voluntary postural orientation in response to touch occurs in the posterior parietal cortex. PMID:27495219

Ligament laxity in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type (EDS-HT) patients can influence the intrinsic information about posture and movement and can have a negative effect on the appropriateness of postural reactions. Several measures have been proposed in literature to describe the planar migration of CoP over the base of support, and the most used in clinical field are the CoP excursions in antero-posterior and medio-lateral direction. In recent years a growing number of studies have been designed to explore the complexity of the COP trajectories during quiet standing. We assessed 13 adults with EDS-HT (EDSG) and 20 healthy adults (CG) during static posture, evaluating the CoP using time and frequency domain analysis and entropy analysis (SampEn and ApEn parameters). Higher values of CoP displacements in medio-lateral and anterior-posterior directions for EDSG than CG were found; no differences were observed in CoP frequency. The entropy analysis showed lower value for EDSG than CG, pointing out the needing of EDSG to concentrate more attention on postural control, loosing complexity and reflecting a less automatized postural control. PMID:23246558

The role of central and peripheral vision in the maintenance of upright stance is debated in literature. Stargardt disease causes visual deficits affecting the central field, but leaving unaltered a patient's peripheral vision. Hence, the study of this rare pathology gives the opportunity to selectively investigate the role of central vision in posture. Postural sway in quiet stance was analyzed in 10 Stargardt patients and 10 control subjects, in three different conditions: (1) eyes closed, (2) eyes open, gazing at a fixed target, and (3) eyes open, tracking a moving target. Stargardt patients outperformed controls in the condition with eyes closed, showing a reduced root mean square (RMS) of the medio-lateral COP displacement, while their performance was not significantly different from controls in the antero-posterior direction. There were no significant differences between patients and controls in open eyes conditions. These results suggest that Stargardt patients adapted to a different visual-somatosensory integration, relying less on vision, especially in the medio-lateral direction. Hence, the central vision seems to affect mostly the medio-lateral direction of postural sway. This finding supports the plausibility of the "functional sensitivity hypothesis", that assigns complementary roles to central and peripheral vision in the control of posture. PMID:26514831

A hierarchical progression in infants' ability to use surface features, such as color, as a basis for object individuation in the first year has been well established (Tremoulet, Leslie, & Hall, 2000; Wilcox, 1999). There is evidence, however, that infants' sensitivity to surface features can be increased through multisensory (i.e., visuohaptic) exploration of objects (Wilcox, Woods, Chapa, & McCurry, 2007). Three studies were conducted to investigate the effect of multisensory experience on infants' sensitivity to pattern information. Experiments 1 and 2 confirmed that 5.5- and 6.5-month-olds do not spontaneously use pattern differences to individuate objects and revealed that 6.5- but not 5.5-month-olds can be primed to attend to pattern differences if allowed multisensory experience with the objects prior to the individuation task. However, the 5.5-month-olds also had greater difficulty maintaining a self-sitting posture during the multisensory priming experience. In Experiment 3, 4.5- and 5.5-month-olds were given full postural support during the multisensory exploration period. In this situation, the 5.5-month-olds successfully individuated the objects, but even with full postural support, 4.5-month-old infants did not use the pattern differences to individuate the objects. These results demonstrate that multisensory priming is effective with infants as young as 5.5 months and extends multisensory priming to another surface feature, pattern. Furthermore, these results indicate that constraints are placed on the multisensory experience by the physical and motor development of the infant. PMID:23046431